


Connect the Dots and You'll Find Home

by Spockri



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Casual Sex, Denial, Eggsy/Other People, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Honeypots, Hurt feelings, Jealousy, Lots of kissing, M/M, Not Quite a Misunderstanding, fast burn, not sequel compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:25:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 43,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11535024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spockri/pseuds/Spockri
Summary: Harry had always just been there, a steady presence in Eggsy's life.  Not a father figure per se, but a reliable friend that Eggsy could lean on for support.But after last night, something changed.  What he'd seen could never be unseen.  He wasn’t in love because they were just friends, but there was something about Harry that seemed to draw Eggsy’s attention.  Curiosity maybe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by Ariana Grande's "Into You". If you know the song, you'll know the gist of this fic: Sex. So much sex. Also inspired by the photos that were taken in Greenwich last year (Yes, I write THAT slow. I started this last year.) This is my response to the rumors. Not brit-picked.

“Mum, I’m fine,” Eggsy said for the 20th time that night and resisted the urge to sigh as Michelle passed him a wet plate. He could hear the TV on in next room entertaining his sister as he and his mother stood side by side in the kitchen and washed the dishes. Michelle’s latest beau, Robert, was thankfully nowhere to be seen as they rinsed away remnants of their stir fry dinner.

“I’m just worried ‘bout you, babe," Michelle explained with a furrow in her brow, meddling in Eggsy’s life the way only concerned mothers could. She handed him a bowl next, and he swirled his damp rag along it. “You’re always busy with work. All the time. I mean, you barely have time to visit.”

“I know. I’m sorry about that.” Eggsy had been in Germany for the past month and only gotten back a day ago. 

“That ain’t my point. I was just talking to Robert the other day saying how nice it was to have him over on the weekends and then it got me thinking about how you never introduce anyone to me.” Part of it was because Eggsy wouldn’t be caught dead bringing a girl or guy to their apartment while Dean lorded over their tiny home. God forbid Dean ever saw Eggsy with another man. He couldn’t even imagine the vile shit Dean would have spouted. But Dean was out of the picture now; out of their lives for good. Eggsy had made sure of that. “I’m just worried that you’re lonely is all. It’s like you’re trying to fill that empty space in your heart with work. You should have someone to come home to. Someone you can talk to about your day. Maybe just watch the telly together before bed. I don’t want you to be lonely, hun.” 

This time, Eggsy sighed loudly and set his rag down on the counter top. “Swear down, mum, I’m fine with the way things are. I’m happy and I ain’t lonely.” Michelle gave him a skeptical look, so Eggsy tried a different route. “Maybe I haven’t met the right person worth introducing. They'd have to be someone really special. Y’know what I mean? I got two ladies in my life who’ve set the bar really damn high.”

Michelle laughed. He never thought he’d see the day she would laugh so freely, glowing from the inside with happiness, after all the shit they’d been through, growing up in that shoddy flat in the estates. Michelle flicked some suds toward Eggsy. “God, Eggsy. Save the sweet talk for that unlucky person. No wonder you can’t find no one.” He grinned and let her change the subject to how Robert was helping his sister learn to read, an unexciting but safe topic.

Ever since the fateful day at Holborn Police Station, Eggsy's life had been on the up-and-up. Since the day he saw Harry, leaning against the railing looking like a cocksure dandy, Eggsy couldn’t think of much to complain about. Since then, Eggsy had secured a seat at the proverbial Round Table and saved the world a few times over after taking on Harry's former mantle, Galahad. Harry had been upgraded to Arthur by unanimous vote because no one else wanted the prestigious and intensive paper-pushing job. The fact that Harry was still recovering from a head shot wound that should have killed him or at least left him in a semi-vegetable state sealed the deal.

In the process of it all, Eggsy had gotten an amazing townhouse in one of the nicest neighborhoods in London. Michelle had “miraculously” found a job in an office with decent pay so his family was finally safe and living comfortably. So, yeah, life was good. A year after V-day, Eggsy could definitively say he’d found his stride and everything seemed to be falling into place. He had his friends and family and a job he loved, a job he was bloody good at. Life couldn’t possibly get any better. 

But someone always had to be a critic. Every so often, his mom got into certain moods, not bad moods per se, but pensive and full of bad ideas, especially about relationships. Michelle had always been a lily pad jumper ever since Eggsy could remember. She had a codependent personality, the kind that always needed to be in a relationship to feel fulfilled, even if it meant shacking up with arseholes like Dean. Thank fucking god she was dating a boring accountant she had met while standing in the checkout line at Morrisons a few months ago. The new guy wasn't impressive, but he was nice enough and sometimes boring could be a good thing. At least being dull was better than being a dick.

Nevertheless, Michelle was wrong to be worried about her son because Eggsy wasn't lonely. He had Kingsman. He had friends, partners, and confidants and he certainly didn’t feel lonely with the revolving door of men and women he met as he traveled around the world.

Whenever he needed to go have a pint and shoot the shit, Eggsy still had his mates, Ryan and Jamal, who had miraculously survived V-day despite their utter lack of survival skills. When he sick and tired of acting like a stiff posh prick with a stick up his arse, they were always down for a good time and gave him a lot of shit for working at a fancy tailor shop.

He had Roxy, who was aces even though she didn't really _get_ the plight of the working class. She saw things through privileged lenses, but she just wanted to do some good in the world by helping people and kicking arse, bless her soul. Eggsy couldn’t blame her for being born and bred in a different world where everything had been handed to her on a silver platter. She was great, but sometimes too intense, like she was overcompensating for being the only female agent in a boys club.

Merlin... Merlin wasn't the chatty type, nor did he have the patience to listen to idle chitchat (and yet he always seemed to be in the know about all the gossip that went on in the agency). He had dozens of high-priority projects on his plate and always gave a belabored sigh when Eggsy came by for a friendly visit. It was all an act though because everyone knew Merlin was really soft inside and was amenable when bribed with simple comforts like a decent cup of coffee or tea. Merlin was a good bloke when it mattered. He was someone Eggsy could always depend on to get him out of sticky situations; Never mind the fact that it was kind of Merlin’s job to do so. 

And then there was Harry. Harry fucking Hart, AKA He Who Could Do No Wrong. Harry was a great mentor and a very good friend. No more, no less. He was a close enough confidant that Eggsy was comfortable talking about everything and Harry always _got_ him. Harry never judged him, always patiently talking to him even if it was something mundane like why the bloody hell they needed separate forks for a salad and main course. He was the only one who ever saw anything in Eggsy worth saving and always tried to set him on the path for success. 

They had dinner and drinks often and talked nonstop about anything they fancied. It was so easy with Harry because Eggsy could just be himself, not bothering to his hide his second life as a secret agent or hide the shame of his lackluster background. Harry had known exactly who Eggsy was and had nominated him for Lancelot’s position anyway. Eggsy talked about his family and about his missions and Harry was present and empathic, watching Eggsy with warm brown eyes and a small smile playing on his lips. With them, things just slotted together so naturally that sometimes it felt like they’d known each other longer than a lifetime. Harry never made Eggsy feel stupid or small. Never patronizing or condescending.

Eggsy liked the way Harry smiled in exasperation whenever Eggsy was in a petulant mood, hardheaded as always. Plus, Harry was observant and insanely funny. His droll sense of humor always cracked Eggsy up and he loved, loved, LOVED, the way Harry always antagonized his handlers, especially Merlin. Harry was one of the few people on this planet who could easily crack Merlin’s stoic facade and Harry was fucking amazing at pulling off pranks with a straight face. God, sometimes Harry made Eggsy laugh so hard his sides hurt. Cheeky bugger.

Okay, yeah, Eggsy had a little case of hero-worship and Roxy had even rolled her eyes one time and teased, “why don’t you just ask him to marry you for God’s sake.” To which Eggsy had turned beet red and muttered, “it ain’t like that.” Harry was well fit and handsome for his age, but they were just friends and it was completely platonic. Nonetheless, Eggsy had learned his lesson and stopped talking about Harry like he was the second-coming of their Lord savior, Jesus Christ.

~*~

"My mum wants me to start dating," Eggsy said over dinner. They were in Harry's dining room digging into the spaghetti carbonara Harry had tossed together last minute. 

"Haven't you already been doing that?" Harry asked as he neatly folded into his meal, holding his cutlery the way he had taught Eggsy when they’d had 24-hours together before his final test. He had also advised Eggsy how to use the oyster fork for light maiming and fondue fork when someone was just out of reach because he was a quirky old man and Eggsy wouldn’t have Harry any other way.

"I mean, like seriously date someone. She's giving me the talk, Haz, like she thinks I need to settle down soon or something. I'm twenty-fucking-seven."

Harry didn't bat an eyelash at his informal nickname. He'd long lost the will to fight that battle and even stopped pursing his lips together in displeasure like he used to when Eggsy had initially started calling him ‘Haz’. 

"You don't want to be in a relationship?"

"I'm fine the way things are," Eggsy insisted. He didn't want to toot his own horn or anything, but he wasn't ugly and he got laid often enough that he was never found wanting. Why change something that wasn’t broken? "I don't need some nag calling me all the time. Always wanting to know where I’m at and what I'm doing. Sounds like a miserable ball and chain. Besides, bachelorhood worked out for you, didn't it? You seem all right."

Harry's hands stilled over his plate for a second and Eggsy wondered if he hit a nerve. "It's not from a lack of trying," Harry replied with a small frown. "I've had long-term relationships, but the truth is that it's difficult to maintain a relationship when you're always traveling and having to keep secrets. You have to find someone who understands. Someone who is independent and not needy of you. Unfortunately, I’ve never found the person who checked all the boxes."

"I bet it's 'cause you got a bloody long checklist." Eggsy wondered about the type of person who had the balls to date someone like Harry, who probably had ridiculously high standards. One had to be flawless to even meet Harry’s lower prerequisites. It was funny that he and Harry got along as well as they did considering Eggsy’s many, _many_ flaws. Anyway, they rarely spoke about Harry’s love life despite the fact that they often got into sordid details about Eggsy’s. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Eggsy had always been aware that Harry had dated in the past. Harry wasn’t a robot, but it had never occurred to Eggsy to pry because it was Harry’s private business to share when he felt it was necessary. 

Briefly, Eggsy wondered what Harry was like in a relationship. He couldn't imagine Harry living a normal domestic life, but then again Harry was one hell of a chef and his home was so warm and welcoming that it was such a waste that Harry wasn’t home more often. His shelves were lined with dozens of dog-eared books, bindings cracked and bent through years of loving use. His walls and shelves were decorated with knickknacks he’d collected from his adventures: Coins, stamps, er, butterflies (Harry never really explained that one). It was eclectic, but still inviting, so very Harry. Such a well made nest would have attracted Mrs. (or Mr?) Right by now. If Harry, Mr. Perfect, couldn’t find anyone, what were the chances that Eggsy would find someone even if he wanted to?

"Have you ever heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?" Harry asked. Eggsy shook his head. "It's a theory in psychology that describes five hierarchies of basic human needs. Our motivation in life is to always get to the higher levels. The bottom hierarchy is physiological needs, physical requirements for human survival like air, sustenance, shelter, and sex. You've clearly got the sex needs in spades." Eggsy smirked and winked at Harry. Unfazed, Harry continued with another one of his impromptu lessons, “once each level is attained, a person seeks fulfillment in the next hierarchy. Sex and intimacy are two different things," Harry gave Eggsy a pointed look. "Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re not being fulfilled on the bottom level anymore and you’ll seek something deeper and more complex to satisfy your needs.”

Eggsy wanted to argue about how Harry reeked of hypocrisy but was interrupted when his phone vibrated on Harry's dining table. The corners of his mouth quirked up when he gave his screen a quick glance. 

"It's Tilde," he told Harry and unlocked his phone to read the Swedish Princess' text. "She says she's bored out of her mind at the trade meeting in Germany and the PM's hitting on her."

Harry looked amused. "Why don't you date her? I'm sure your mother would approve."

Eggsy laughed at Harry's sorry attempt at matchmaking. "Are you out of your fucking mind? It’d never work out."

"Why not? You two have kept in touch after V-day. She likes you well enough. She’s very intelligent, and she's beautiful. You could do worse."

"She's a god damn _princess_ ," Eggsy reminded him and put his phone away so it wouldn't interrupt their dinner again. He wondered if Harry knew _everything_ that had happened during V-day including what had occurred between Tilde and him. In Eggsy’s defense, they were high on adrenaline at the time and, fuck, he was a young, virile 20-something. He had hormones and was easily distracted by pretty faces. Any guy would have to be fucking bonkers to turn down the Princess of Sweden. They had dated in the loosest sense of the word in that they had hooked up once or twice after V-day whenever it was convenient and inconspicuous. Predictably, that had fizzled out as quickly as it had started with the two of them always on the go, rarely ever in the same place at the same time. Once in a while, they texted, but that was about it these days.

"Is this about class again?" Harry asked with a roll of his eyes. For a gentleman, Harry had some pretty rude habits and he could be such a sassy twat sometimes, not that Eggsy minded because Eggsy often talked back with equal brassiness. Of course, they’d always end up laughing over it once they got their heads out of their arses.

"Nah," Eggsy clarified. "You think I could get away with dating a princess without the paps snapping pics all the time and digging into my past? Pull up all the shit I've done and drag me through the mud?" He didn't want to be in the kind of spotlight where people constantly took candid pics of him and criticized his manners or outfits. He could already imagine his police records in the headlines of all the newspapers. Kingsman could make up a new past for him, but what kind of life would that be? Living a lie for the rest of your life? How would he even explain that to his family?

"But if that wasn't an issue, would you want to date her?"

Eggsy chewed on his lower lip as he considered the possibility. He stared at his plate as he weighed the pros and cons of dating the gorgeous princess. "No," he decided. "She's all right, but I'm not interested in her. Not long-term." 

It was nice that she knew about his life as a spy, but Tilde was just so different that Eggsy couldn't imagine a “happily ever after” with her. She was an amazing person. Smart, funny, caring. She had more balls than all of the Kingsman agents put together. But Eggsy shied away when he thought about all the constraints she had because of her royal status and her responsibilities to represent the country of Sweden with dignity and competence. They weren’t bad in bed together, but what the fuck did Eggsy know about the royal lifestyle and manners besides the random things Harry had taught him? What a pair they’d make: The Princess and the Pleb. 

Thanks, but no thanks. He just wanted to live in a nice townhome, like the one he already had. Maybe even like Harry's, all cozy and lived in. He wanted to travel the world and save people, not through politicking but getting out there and _doing_ it. Marrying a princess of all people seemed like the antithesis of everything Eggsy wanted. He’d be under a microscope, unable to escape from the public eye. He’d be surrounded by bodyguards all the time, trying to protect him rather than the other way around.

Harry wore cryptic expression as he regarded Eggsy. It was a complex look like he had a million different comments and questions and he couldn’t decide which to ask first. But in the end, Harry merely gave a small smile and a quick shake of his head before picking up his fork to finish his dinner. Whatever was on Harry’s mind was apparently not important enough to drag the conversation on because the older man pivoted and asked about Michelle’s boyfriend and how his family was doing. 

“Oh god,” Eggsy groaned and followed Harry’s lead, digging into his meal again as they changed the topic. “They’ve only been dating for five bloody months and he’s already trying to get me to call him ‘dad’.” Despite Robert’s shortcomings, the man was a decent bloke who treated his mum well. The fact that Robert was good with his sister was also a nice change, but Eggsy wasn’t ever going to call that man ‘dad’. Fuck that noise.

~*~

Eggsy went to Belarus for a month and came back with only a few light scratches to report to the nurse. Like all the other agents after a long job, he was placed on a mandatory, week-long break to keep himself from having a mental breakdown due to the high stress-levels that came with the occupation. Some agents liked to disappear and recoup. Others stayed near home base to use the mansion’s facilities and continued to hone their skills because they were workaholics and downtime was not a part of their vocabulary ( _ahem_ , Roxy). Eggsy always found himself restless as the week came to a close. He was itching for his next assignment whether it was short and local or a month-long stint overseas.

As nice and patient as Andrew was, Eggsy got bored during his shifts at the tailor shop. He spent some time with his friends and family. Often, Eggsy liked to sit around in Harry’s office when the man was around. He shadowed Harry like an apprentice and asked inane questions like, “why can’t we just assassinate the Dear Leader of North Korea?” or “what the fuck happened in Crimea?”. Eggsy wasn’t an idiot or anything, but Dean had aways preferred sports and reality TV over the BBC News. Sometimes they were just theoretical questions and Harry, with his love of history and his propensity for spouting random facts, was always happy to oblige in whatever questions Eggsy had.

The sun had already set by the time Eggsy finished his appointment with the Rachael, the Kingsman psychiatrist. She had given him the go for his next assignment. No signs of red flags. No sleepless nights. Not anymore. When Eggsy had started these mandatory monthly meetings, he had had so many problems they didn’t even know where to start. Their first meeting had started and ended with Eggsy crossing his arms defensively, lips pursed into a tight and thin line. Slowly (painfully slow), they eventually developed a foundation of trust. Even though it still felt like pulling teeth sometimes, Eggsy reluctantly opened up. It also helped that Rachael was an amazing baker. She managed to soften Eggsy’s hardheadedness with a little sugar and buttercream. Even Merlin was weak to her chocolate Irish cream cheesecake, which was to die for and a perfect complement to his black and bitter coffee. 

It was near dinner time and Eggsy wasn’t feeling like spending the night with take away in front of the telly. He fished out his phone and shot off couple texts, hoping someone was free to entertain him. His phone pinged every few minutes when his contacts responded: Ryan was working the night shift and Jamal was on a date. His family was having dinner with Robert. Lancelot was in Bolivia and all the other agents were off on their own assignments in God knows where. Hm. Eggsy frowned as he tucked his phone away. It looked like tonight was going to be a quiet and lonesome night of takeaway with JB and the latest episode of _EastEnders_... Unless Harry was interested in grabbing a pint and something quick to eat. 

Arthur’s large office was empty when Eggsy poked his head in. Harry tended to dart between the storefront and their headquarters depending on his agenda that day, but he preferred the mansion, unlike his predecessor who more often stayed at the tailor shop to do his business. His style differed from Chester King’s for sure. It was time for Kingsman to leave behind its pretentious traditions and catch up to the 21st century. Harry wasn’t the most patient leader nor the most diplomatic. The thing was, Harry had the potential to be a _great_ leader. Even though his temper needed a little dialing down, Harry had the right forward-looking mindset, the right instincts, and even the right accent. He’d always been Chester’s favorite and had been groomed to take over “the throne” no matter how many times Harry had rejected the idea just to piss the man off. It was sweet irony that Harry ended up as Arthur after all.

In some ways, Eggsy felt closer to Harry after the reorganization. It felt like they had more in common now than ever because they were both learning how to fill their new roles. Of course, Harry still insisted on gallivanting off on a mission once in a while. He had too much pride to be forced into semi-retirement and he thrived too much in the field to be trapped in a mansion all day. Harry was only allowed to take on easy assignments. They couldn’t risk losing Arthur to a dirty bomb or some crazy madman who wanted to blow up an entire city for shits and giggles. Harry was relegated to non-life threatening tasks and he accepted it begrudgingly because it was better than nothing at all. 

Come to think of it, Eggsy hadn’t heard from Harry all day. Not even a text or an e-mail from the man. Radio silence. Eggsy made his way to Merlin’s office because if anyone could track down a missing person, especially Harry, it was Merlin.

“Oi, Merlin, have you seen Harry?” Eggsy’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he looked over Merlin’s shoulder. “Jesus, what the fuck, you perv.” 

Merlin was handling a mission and gave a stern “not now, Eggsy” look. He hit a few quick keys on his keyboard to mute the communication channel so Eggsy couldn’t distract whoever had been stuck with a honeypot job. 

Honeypots weren’t spectator sports and agents usually had some amount of privacy, but even Eggsy, who had only been an agent for a little over a year, had gotten over his initial reservation of having people watching him perform. It was for the Queen and country after all. As uncomfortable as it was to be watched while baring it all, it was for their own protection and they needed handlers to be on the lookout while they were, er, preoccupied.

Grinning, Eggsy took a quick look at the screen again, watching through the agent’s glasses as a woman, middle-aged and curvy with gorgeous tits and long, dark, silky hair, knelt between the agent’s legs and went to town on his stiff cock. The blowjob itself was amateur at best, but enthusiastic, nice, and sloppy. Tilting his head in interest, Eggsy got a good look at the cock appreciating its the length and girth of it as it slid against the target’s spit-slicked mouth. It was a mouthful as far as cocks went: thick, uncut, and just the right length to make a person feel nice and full. Not bad at all.

“Watching porn on company time are you?” Eggsy teased Merlin. He was rewarded with another dirty look. Eggsy opened his mouth to take another jab at the quartermaster but his jaw went slack, dropping to gape stupidly when he caught a glimpse of the agent’s reflection from a large mirror on the dresser in the room. 

Oh fuck. Even with the blurriness of the reflection, Eggsy could easily identify Harry’s profile half reclined on the bed. Except he’d never seen Harry like this before, half dressed with his shirt and tie undone, trousers off somewhere on the floor. Harry’s glasses were slightly crooked on his nose and his hair was a glorious and disheveled mess. He had a large hand buried in the woman’s hair, showing her how to suck his cock to make his chest heave with heavy pants and gasps, hips rocking to fuck her eager mouth. 

He was a stunning vision and Eggsy’s mouth went dry. Eggsy’s chest clenched and he felt a fluttering inside, almost painful like his heart had lost its rhythm momentarily when he realized what they were watching, or more specifically, _who_ they were watching. 

“The fuck is going on?” Eggsy sputtered, feeling all tongue-tied, stumbling over his words as he forced himself to look away. He focused on his shoes, the keyboard, Merlin’s coffee mug, anywhere but the screen at Harry’s cock, one that he’d practically been salivating over like an utter tosser. 

“Do you need a refresher course about the birds and the bees?” 

“Harry,” Eggsy clarified quickly, “why’s he there? Isn’t he...” Eggsy cleared his throat and made a hand-wavy motion because he was flustered beyond belief having seen something he most definitely shouldn’t have. Jesus Christ, Eggsy. _Words_. Fucking use them.

“Isn’t he what?” Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Old? I can assure you that men in their 50's can still have satisfying sex lives.” 

“Fuck off, Merlin,” Eggsy shot back and tried to regain his footing because he felt all out of sorts. His face felt warm and he wondered if his flush was deep enough for Merlin to see. How the hell did Merlin manage such a blank face? “You know what I’m talking about. Arthur. Why’s he doing a fucking honeypot? I didn't even know he was still doing these kinds of missions.” 

“He doesn’t usually,” Merlin agreed, “but Margravine is quite the opportunist whom we suspect is the middleman importing drugs into the country for buyers and sellers. She owns several high-end art houses, so she thinks has ‘refined’ tastes and we needed an older and experienced gentleman for the job.” 

_Oh_. Eggsy pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, trying not to give into temptation to have another peek at the screen. Now it made sense why Merlin was handling the honey pot when he usually didn’t bother with those types of assignments. It was something he considered beneath his station these days. Being Arthur meant getting an extra level of privacy and also the luxury of having a trusted and experienced handler rather than a wide-eyed novice heavy breathing in his ear the entire time. Any other agent would have been handed off to another handler, leaving Merlin to focus only on high-priority missions. 

Eggsy paused briefly because, honestly, who the fuck would name their kid ‘Margravine’? 

“Did you want to grab popcorn and a chair to watch or did you actually come here for a reason?” Merlin’s question snapped Eggsy out of his frazzled state and Eggsy shook his head. 

“Nah, I was just looking for Harry and, ah, I guess I found him, so I’ll leave you to it then.” He couldn’t believe he was standing there talking to Merlin all casual while Harry was in the background getting a blowjob. 

Merlin nodded. “Close the door on your way out.” 

Swiveling on his heel, Eggsy fled the quartermaster’s office and hoped Merlin hadn’t noticed the half chub pressing against the front of his trousers. Eggsy hurried down the hallway and scrubbed his face with a hand in dismay. How was he ever going to look Harry in the eye again after what he’d seen?


	2. Chapter 2

When Harry came into work the next morning, Eggsy found it impossible to look the man in the eye. How could he after getting an eyeful of Harry’s nether region? What he’d seen could never be unseen, but Eggsy tried his best to play it off and greeted Harry with a cheerful smile when they entered the tailor shop at the same time in the morning — late in the morning. Eggsy learned from the best after all.

“How was your evening?” Harry asked politely as they made their way underground to the shuttle. 

Eggsy had spent most of the night furious with his dick because you weren’t supposed to get hard-ons for your friends. It felt like he’d broken a golden rule and it had left him confused and distraught. When a stiff drink (hah) hadn’t put him to sleep, Eggsy had jerked off to porn, hoping it would alleviate the restlessness that had built up, only to find himself with outrageous morning wood when he woke up. 

“Uh, good,” Eggsy answered dumbly when Harry waited for a response. “How was yours?” Eggsy wanted to kick himself for asking such a stupid question because he knew how Harry’s night had gone. He’d fucking seen the gorgeous brunette work her mouth on Harry’s prick. 

Looking very well rested, Harry smiled demurely as he took a seat in the shuttle. “It was pleasant.” Pleasant was putting it mildly. Sitting opposite Harry, Eggsy kept his eyes on the floor, afraid that he’d turn beet red if he met Harry’s gaze. This was going to be a bloody long ride.

Eggsy had never thought anything of Harry’s love life and preferences, but it was evident now that Harry was as hot-blooded as any other man. Harry had always just been _there_ in Eggsy’s life ever since he tried out for Lancelot’s position. Not a father figure per se, but a steady pillar that Eggsy could lean on for support. Despite their age gap, Eggsy considered Harry a close friend; a person who had seen Eggsy's true potential and always supported him in all his endeavors. 

But after last night, something changed. He wasn’t in love with Harry because they were just friends, but there was something about the older man that seemed to draw Eggsy’s attention now. Curiosity maybe. Whatever it was, it was distracting and ruining Eggsy’s ability to function like a normal human being.

When they had dinner together at the end of the week, Eggsy stared at Harry’s mouth as Harry spoke. He thought about the video feed in Merlin’s office, about how attractive Harry had looked (well, more attractive than usual) with his hair all out of place and clothes half undone. As Harry spoke about the current state of politics in France, all Eggsy could think about was what it would be like if he leaned across the table and kissed Harry. Was Harry a decent kisser? Was he good in the sack? 

Christ. Eggsy felt warm under the collar and chided himself for acting ridiculous. Grabbing the glass of water that came with their meal, Eggsy quickly took a sip and tried to refocus on their conversation. He needed to snap out of it because Harry wasn’t someone Eggsy could flirt with and invite home for a “nightcap” like a slag. 

~*~

“Galahad, are you listening?” 

Merlin’s sharp tone snapped Eggsy out of his thoughts and he realized he had zoned out during his status meeting, distracted by Harry’s hands resting on the conference table. He’d been staring at them, wondering if Harry ever played a musical instrument. Harry’s fingers were long and graceful in a way that looked like maybe he’d played the violin or piano when he was younger. Eggsy had started to notice random things about Harry, like how the man’s eyebrows made his face look delicate sometimes and how his hair began to curl by the end of a long day. He’d always known about Harry’s dimples and how Harry’s eyes were a warm and rich brown hue, but he had a new appreciation for them whenever Harry smiled. Eggsy noticed a lot of random things about Harry lately and today was apparently dedicated to his massive hands.

“Yeah, sorry.” With an embarrassed blush coloring his face, Eggsy straightened his back and affected an expression of fierce concentration as Merlin sighed and continued presenting data that they’d found from his job in Belarus. From the corner of his eye, Eggsy could see Harry staring at him with a frown. This had happened too often in the past few days for Harry not to notice and it was only going to be a matter of time before Harry cornered him to ask what the hell was going on. 

Fuck his life. Everything had been going great until “the incident.” Now Eggsy couldn’t even maintain a conversation with people without getting distracted whenever Harry passed by with a friendly nod or quick smile. During their weekly one-on-one, Eggsy had avoided eye contact altogether and rambled uneasily until he realized what he was doing and quickly shut up before he made an arse out of himself. Harry merely raised an eyebrow in concern when Eggsy excused himself, mumbling something about having promised to have lunch with Kay since his colleague had just returned from Brazil. 

One afternoon, Eggsy asked Merlin about Harry since they’d known each other probably been longer than Eggsy had even born. “How come Harry never married? How come he’s not in a relationship?” 

Merlin rubbed the bridge of his nose like he was getting a migraine. “Why don’t you ask _him_?”

“I have,” Eggsy grumbled. “He always says things like ‘it never worked out’ and changes the topic.” Merlin gave a tilt of his head and a bland look as if to say, “there you go.” A while ago, long before this mess started, Eggsy had asked, not because he thought he had a chance nor did he want one, but more out of curiosity. Truth be told, Eggsy had never given Harry’s sex life any thought until recently. Kind of like his mom; On an abstract level, he knew she was sleeping Robert, but his mind automatically blocked it out for his own sanity. 

Surely Harry had to have a string of lovers — maybe one on each continent even. But Eggsy had never seen Harry with anyone outside of work and the man never mentioned going on dates. Harry didn’t suffer from erectile dysfunction and he was good looking for his age, so it made little sense why a guy like Harry was living alone in his eclectic house like some crazy hoarder of chintzy knick knacks. 

Merlin sighed tiredly. “I don’t have time for this, Eggsy. Just talk to Harry.”

“Talk to me about what?” A familiar voice came from behind and Eggsy stiffened. 

“Nothing!” Eggsy replied quickly and scratched the back of his head as Harry approached them. Merlin shot him a questioning look and Eggsy avoided eye contact. 

Harry paused to take in the awkward silence in the room. “Am I interrupting something?” He asked. 

“Nothing important,” Merlin responded, probably as glad as Eggsy to change the topic. 

“Oh, then, I just had a question about some forms you submitted,” Harry said and held up a thick stack of papers that were held together by a large foldback clip. “What’s this about opening a purchase order for a jetpack with mini-guns? The Ts and Cs on this are ridiculous.” 

“That’s my cue to leave,” Eggsy said, eagerly looking for his escape even as Harry shot him a friendly smile. “I’ll talk to you two later.”

Frustrated, Eggsy couldn’t understand why his brain was malfunctioning and getting all weird around Harry. Maybe it had been too long since he’d gotten laid, which would explain why Harry had been on his mind a lot. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with anyone. No wonder his brain rebelling. 

The job had introduced Eggsy to many interesting people, and many people were interested in Eggsy. He had dated a lot of different people; some for work and some for pleasure. He'd dabbled with spoiled socialites, pretty princesses, beautiful birds, and once in a while, he’d hook up with a bloke who caught his fancy. 

Sometimes, when the two of them went out for dinner, Eggsy’s eyes followed a handsome stranger or he’d paused mid-sentence when he was distracted by a man's shoulder to waist ratio, the ideal V proportions. To his credit, Harry always seemed amused by Eggsy’s taste in men and made offhanded comments about today’s hookup culture. But, Harry had lived through the sexual liberation of the 70’s, so who was he to criticize Eggsy’s generation? Besides, most agents were open minded about their sexuality as they ought to be, using whatever arsenal they had to get a target’s attention, man or woman. 

Eggsy was having drinks with Ryan and Jamal when he tried out his theory. Across the pub, he caught the eye of an older man in a cheap suit. It wasn’t bespoke, but he filled it out all right. No one wore a suit quite like Harry anyway, so it wasn’t even worth making the comparison — not that Eggsy was looking for similarities. The man looked like he was in his late 30s. Maybe early 4os judging from the streaks of grey in his dark hair. At least he wasn’t balding. Eggsy smiled at him from over his pint and his friends caught on quickly. They accepted his varied tastes without much complaint, but Jamal still wrinkled his nose when Eggsy winked at the gent. “Eggsy, no.” But all he could hear in his head was, “Eggsy, yes.”

And while that had been a fun night, it had only been a momentary distraction. The next morning, after his walk of shame from the man’s flat, Eggsy still felt that awkward tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach when he saw Harry descend the stairs from their board room. 

Harry greeted him with a warm smile and a fond, “Good morning, Eggsy. Late night out?” He eyed Eggsy’s disheveled appearance and Eggsy turned an awful shade of red. 

Fuck. 

Eggsy had hoped to sneak in for a quick shower and change of clothing before anyone noticed. In hindsight, he probably should have gone home first, but he was already running late as evidenced by Harry arriving at the shop long before him. Either way, Eggsy was mortified as he mumbled something like a “Mornin’, Harry” before making his escape, hoping he didn’t reek of sweat and sex and the scent of another man all over himself. Fuck his life.

~*~

Once a week, Eggsy liked to go to the shooting range for stress relief. Only this time, Harry was already there in a booth with protective eye gear and earmuffs on as he shot at a standard paper target a full 25 yards away. Harry glanced at Eggsy briefly when he saw movement from the corner of his eye and they nodded in greeting before Eggsy settled into his own booth, lined up a box of bullets, and prepped his Kingsman issued pistol. Eggsy had a knack for firearms and had received top marks during the Lancelot trials. Aside from having a sassy comeback for everything, Eggsy liked to think that the second best skill in his repertoire was his stellar marksmanship.

It didn’t take him long to finish a magazine, reload it, and finish another round. Eggsy had always found the whole exercise meditative; tuning everything out and focusing on the target in front of him, exhaling slowly and calmly every time he pulled the trigger. By the time Eggsy finished his fifth magazine and decided that he’d had enough, Harry was still there with a frown on his face.

Eggsy glanced at the paper target that Harry had drawn up and immediately understood why Harry was staring at it with utmost displeasure. Some of Harry’s shots had hit the center of the target, but most of had clustered to the right like he was overcompensating for his imperfect vision and unsteady hand. 

“You’ve gotten better,” Eggsy said. 

Harry turned to him looking like he’d forgotten about Eggsy’s presence and pulled off his earmuffs. “It could be better,” Harry said. Harry’s score wasn’t bad, but Eggsy knew Harry’s track record and anything short of perfect was unacceptable. Still, it had been enough to pass the test when Kingsman had to assess whether or not Harry was ready for the field again.

“I’ve seen you at your worst, Haz,” Eggsy reminded. “You’ve improved by leaps and bounds.” Eggsy had been there when Harry woke from his coma. He’d been there to watch Harry struggle to regain control of all his motor functions after being incapacitated for several months. He’d seen Harry the first time he went to the shooting range, and it had been a mess. How the mighty had fallen. Harry’s hands had trembled and his aim had been off, sometimes missing the target altogether. Eggsy had seen the disappointment on Harry’s face. He’d even gotten the brunt of the man’s frustration when Harry faltered to get something right, something that should have been second nature to him. Even then, all was quickly forgiven when Harry came to him with a box of sweets as an apology for being so cross the day before. 

“Thank you.” Harry took the compliment. He seemed to hesitate for a second before speaking again, “Eggsy, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.” 

“Yeah?”

“Merlin mentioned that you visited him briefly while I was on a mission.”

Shit. So they were going to be mature adults and talk about this after all. Eggsy felt a rush of adrenaline seep into his system, sending his heart rate speeding up a notch. “Yeah,” he confessed, trying to ignore his “fight or flight” response and the warmth that crept up his neck. “I didn’t realize you was uh… that you were…” Eggsy faltered and felt like an idiot, unable to communicate like a normal person around Harry anymore.

“I know what you saw,” Harry said with an amused glint in his eyes as he watched Eggsy bumble like a twit.

“I’m so sorry, Harry.” 

“Don’t be,” Harry said. “You needn’t feel embarrassed or awkward about it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you’ve been a little… off,” Harry supplied with a cock of his head. “I hope it didn’t make you uncomfortable.” Eggsy grimaced inwardly. Had it been that obvious? He really needed to work on his acting if he was going to pass as a spy. “We’re adults and it’s a hazard of our occupation. You shouldn’t feel like it affects our relationship just because you’ve seen me in the buff. Trust me. When you’ve been in Kingsman for as many years as I have, you’ll quickly grow immune to those things. I’ve seen _everything_. It’s just part of the territory.”

That made Eggsy do a double take. “Everything?” He asked and raised an eyebrow. “Like you’ve seen Percival’s arse?” He meant it as a joke to alleviate the awkwardness between them, but Harry gave him a strained smile like he was suffering the mental image Eggsy had forced upon him.

“Unfortunately.”

“And Roxy’s?”

“Once when I was going over her mission details.”

Oh.

“And… and mine?”

Harry stared at Eggsy for a beat. “I’m head of the organization,” Harry reminded him, “and I review your missions from time to time when it’s necessary.” 

“But, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Harry’s mouth formed a wry smile before he replied, “What exactly would you have me say? Did you want me to critique your technique?” Eggsy gaped at Harry. “Should I have told you to put more weight into your hips? Perhaps pick up the tempo?” 

Eggsy bit his lower lip to keep his mouth from splitting into a stupid grin. “Alright,” he finally gave in. “I get it. Guess I was just a little shocked at how fucking pale your skinny arse was. You really need to get some sun, bruv.” Harry chuckled and it felt like the ice had broken. It was suddenly so much easier to breathe again like Harry wasn’t crowding into his space anymore even though the man was standing some feet away. “How do you get over it though?” Eggsy asked.

“Get over what?” Harry began to stow his equipment, removing the magazine from his custom Tokarev and putting left over ammo back into its pack.

“The…” Eggsy gestured vaguely, “you know, the _awkwardness_.” 

“Just think of it as work in the most clinical way. It’s not like you’ve never seen a naked man before and I mean in a _non-sexual_ way.” He gave Eggsy a pointed look and Eggsy felt heat on his cheeks because Harry rarely brought up his “sexually indiscriminate” lifestyle. True, he had skinny dipped with his mates before and seen his colleagues’ arses naked in the locker room. It had been a little awkward at first, but Eggsy had quickly gotten over the glimpses of bare skin. Even the shower stalls and toilets in the trainee sleeping quarters were out in the open, leaving no room for privacy whatsoever. It was just different with Harry and Eggsy couldn’t explain his strong reaction. “If all else fails, you could imagine them with their clothes off,” Harry offered and blinked. “No, that’s for people with public speaking anxiety.”

Eggsy laughed when he realized Harry was taking the piss. Eyes bright, Harry gave the same gleeful, huffy laugh and toothy grin he always did when he made a lame joke and someone got him. “Wanna grab something to eat?” Eggsy asked and Harry nodded.

“Yes, I’m famished.”

Eggsy felt immense relief as they finished packing away their gear and left the shooting range. _Just think of it as work_. He repeated it in his head like a mantra. Maybe one day he’d actually believe it. 

~*~

Eggsy had just come back from the locker shower after running a few laps around the estate when he saw Merlin hurrying down the hallway with a frown on his face. 

“Everything all right?” It was hard to tell when Merlin rarely smiled in the first place and it usually took a lot of alcohol or maybe a slice of Rachael’s cakes. Merlin’s expressions were kind of an art form, requiring people to scrutinize his face to identify and interpret the discreet changes. 

“Fine,” Merlin said absently before giving Eggsy a second glance. “No,” he seemed to hesitate before admitting, “it’s Arthur.” Eggsy was immediately on alert and followed Merlin, falling into step with the man as they hurried into his office. Eggsy was always concerned whenever Harry was involved, not that Harry needed babysitting or mother-henning. God knows, Harry could take care of himself, but he was a magnet for trouble. Getting into comas and getting shot in the head was an everyday kind of thing for Harry at this point. He’d been declared dead more times than Eggsy could count on his hands. So, of course, Eggsy worried. One of these days, Harry wasn’t going to brush off the bullets and walk it off. 

“Arthur’s been in Plymouth for the last few days,” Eggsy said. Harry had mentioned it briefly before he left. He was on Margravine’s trail like a bloodhound, looking for inbound shipments of cocaine and hoping to identify her resources. From Harry, Eggsy learned that Margravine was an art collector and dealer. She was the owner of multiple art houses throughout Europe and sold some paintings worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. She kept the best art pieces to herself and aspired to be the next Peggy Guggenheim. However, even her inheritance from her late husband couldn’t explain her extravagant lifestyle. 

She had to have another source of income, difficult to trace and easy to smuggle with all her expensive works of art. Cartels went above and beyond sometimes to smuggle drugs, hiding them on fishing boats, stuffing them into the wells of tires, and even hiding them in animals or humans. The draw of easy money was irresistible. Margravine probably pushed millions of pounds through her business and her clients were wealthy enough to purchase crap art and then some. She probably got to keep a cut of the profit as long as she got the goods from point A to point B as directed.

Eggsy had naively asked why they couldn’t just hack into her phone and call it a day. Leave NCS to deal with it. Unfortunately, technology was evolving so rapidly that Enforcement couldn’t keep up with it. Even simple apps like Signal that used end-to-end encryption made it nearly impossible for third parties to track what was going on. There weren’t any back doors and even the companies themselves didn’t know what was flowing through their servers and didn’t maintain backups as part of their privacy policy. 

Harry had installed a key logger on her phone so they could read all of her texts, but it was tricky piecing together a one-way conversation, especially when she was smart enough to keep her communication terse and only when necessary. Imagine listening to a call and only hearing yeses or nos. One could only imagine a million different things she could be talking about. During a night out at a charity function, Harry happened to glance at her phone and saw a date and location on her screen. Then, he was off to Plymouth to track down the evidence. 

“He won’t answer my hails and I need him to approve a job in Singapore,” Merlin informed as he took a seat in his office chair and logged into his computer station.

“When’s the last time we had contact?” Eggsy asked. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d gotten a text from Harry either.

“This morning.” Eggsy glanced at his watch. It was already 9 PM. Shit. “I’ll connect to his glass’ feed and we’ll work from there.” After Professor Arnold’s unexpected demise, Harry had reluctantly relinquished access to his feed when he woke up from his coma. After the former Arthur’s betrayal, all the other agents provided access to their feeds as well, but that didn’t mean it was always recording or that they always had their glasses on.

Eggsy watched over Merlin’s shoulder as the man tried to access Harry’s live feed and they both frowned when the screen stayed blank. Merlin made a thoughtful sound. “Alright,” Merlin said calmly, “let’s look at the last 10 minutes of footage we backed up to the server.” As minutes ticked by, Eggsy felt a sense of dread slowly creep up on him. Something didn’t feel right and he knew Merlin could sense it too judging by the way his typing became increasingly aggressive.

Merlin pulled up Harry’s transmission sent just over two hours ago. They watched from Harry’s point of view as Harry wandered through what looked like a warehouse, dimly lit by sparse fluorescent lights overhead. Boxes and boxes of cargo containers and wooden crates were lined up, stacked on top each other to make a wall that was at least twice or three times Harry’s height. With bated breath, Eggsy watched Harry locate and break the lock of one of Margravine’s deliveries. There wasn’t anything in there but a stack of paintings and a carefully padded sculpture, but Harry had several more containers to go through. As Harry moved onto the next crate, Eggsy caught a shadow on the corner of their screen. 

“Bloody hell,” Merlin muttered and reached over to press a button to unmute their mics, only to click his tongue against his teeth in annoyance when he remembered they were watching something that had occurred a few hours ago. The screen shook violently as someone attacked Harry from behind and it took a second for their visuals to stabilize to see several formidable-looking men slink from the shadows to surround Harry. They were decked in trainers, jeans, hoodies, some had snap backs, and all of them wore scowling faces. Definitely not security guards. 

“Gentlemen,” Harry greeted as though he’d just been taking an evening stroll through the park, “I take it you’re here to pick up some deliveries?”

“Yeah,” one of the burlier men replied, “and our boss won’t be too happy knowing someone’s been fuckin’ with his stuff. Tryin’ ta steal his goods.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll believe me when I say I was mistaken and just happened to open the wrong box.”

The man shook his head. “Check them,” he ordered one of his men. “Make sure nothin’s been touched.” The gang opened another crate to check their goods. Jackpot. They pulled out several bricks of cocaine all wrapped in clear plastic. 

“See, all there,” Harry said and took a step back. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way.” 

“’Fraid not,” the leader of the bunch said, cracking his knuckles for the imminent fight. “You shouldn’t have been here and now you’ve seen too much. Seems like we got some loose ends to tie up.” That was hardly a fair statement when they had opened the box right in front of Harry. 

Eggsy held his breath as he watched the recording. There was a moment of calm during the standoff as they sized each other up, waiting for someone to make the first move. At the quietest scrape of a shoe, things burst into a flurry of motion like a gun going off at a horse race. Harry dodged a punch aimed at his face and began to take the men out one by one.

Eggsy gripped the back of Merlin’s chair, tightening his fingers until his knuckles went white and started to go numb. He glanced quickly at Merlin, who sat there with his lips pressed into a thin line. Eggsy knew from experience that handlers were hands off, trusting agents to operate on their own. Handlers were backup. They were there to provide additional information or escape routes. Too much interference might cause a distraction and they couldn’t risk distracting agents from fast punches and nasty swipes. It must have been difficult for Merlin to watch, unable to help Harry yet again.

Anxiety swept over him. Eggsy took a deep breath through his nose and tried to calm down. Harry could take these guys on. He’d seen Harry wipe the floor with Rottweiler and the rest of Dean’s crew without breaking a sweat. It was fine. 

That is, until someone struck Harry in the head, knocking his glasses off so that it skittered to the floor a few feet away. He and Merlin could still see from a third person point of view, but it was mostly feet and distant sounds of fighting. Grunts, skin slapping skin, shoes squeaking, metal scraping cement. Then, Harry went down, knocked to his knees from a strong punch to the jaw. It was the last thing Eggsy saw before a shoe crushed Harry’s glasses, cutting off visuals and destroying the audio feed as well.

“Damn it,” Merlin finally spoke up as they stared at the dark screen and heard nothing but silence from Harry’s line. Merlin typed furiously to pull up feeds from the security cameras, but Harry must have disabled the antiquated system manually to sneak into the warehouse. It would need to be re-enabled in person as well. Merlin started accessing CCTV footage, anything they could get a hold of in a short amount of time. The live cameras across the street showed nothing outside the warehouse from different angles. Merlin rewound the recording and Eggsy frowned, squinting at the black-and-white, grainy resolution of the front of the warehouse as cars and people moved backward. 

“There!” Eggsy suddenly said and tapped at the screen when they sped back a few hours worth of footage and his eyes caught a white van parked outside the building. When Merlin played the video again at normal speed, they could barely make out a handful of men as they hopped out of the van, entered the warehouse, and left about 30 minutes later. The camera was too far, video quality too poor, and the cover of night didn’t help either. Eggsy squinted at the screen as the men packed the van with several wooden crates. “They’ve got Harry,” Eggsy said when it looked like two men were carrying out something not quite box shaped. A statue? Harry’s body perhaps? Alive, hopefully, but the way they tossed the unidentified lump into the back of the van didn’t give Eggsy any confidence.

As he watched everything unfold, Eggsy felt like he'd gone back in time, back a year ago when he’d seen Harry's video feed in Kentucky. His chest clenched and he found it difficult to breathe like he’d been shoved into an icy lake and his whole body tensed up. Eggsy blinked dumbly for a few seconds and felt panic set in. He looked at Merlin again and Merlin’s expression was grim as they watched the van drive off. It wasn't reassuring in the slightest. 

"Send me to Plymouth," Eggsy heard himself say.

"Absolutely not." 

"Merlin." 

The quartermaster swiveled in his chair to face Eggsy. "Harry is a highly trained professional and he's been in these situations longer than you've been born. You know the protocol for this." An agent who lost communication with his handler needed to contact the emergency system within 24 hours. If that window passed without any contact, then and only then would Kingsman send a search-and-rescue party once the situation was fully assessed. They couldn’t risk sending precious resources into an unknown and highly precarious situation.

Maybe Harry didn't have 24 hours. Maybe it would be too late. All Eggsy could think of was Harry sprawled on the ground in Kentucky, hair soaking with blood from his head wound. 24 hours was too long a wait.

"This isn’t just some agent. This is fucking Arthur we’re talking about. Send me to Plymouth, Merlin, ‘cause I'm going anyway," Eggsy said hotly. It wasn’t a false threat. He’d fucking fly economy or hijack one of the Bimmers in the hanger if he had to. Harry was in danger and he couldn’t just sit around on his arse waiting for a call that might never come. What if this was like Kentucky all over again and he’d just seen Harry’s last moments on Earth? If they lost Arthur, Kingsman would just find a replacement in a few weeks, but there would never be another Harry Hart in Eggsy’s life.

Merlin hesitated; his mind fighting between protocol and agreeing with Eggsy. “Gear up,” Merlin eventually relented. Eggsy was too stubborn for his own good and there wasn’t any point in arguing. “I’ll have you shipped out as soon as you’re ready. I’ll get access to MI5’s satellites in the meantime. Wait for my instructions when you land. I’ll let you know when we locate the van.” 

~*~

By the time Eggsy landed in Plymouth an hour later, Merlin had found the van again and traced it all the way to a large estate down an unlit and gravelly private road.

“Careful, Galahad,” Merlin spoke in Eggsy’s ear through his glasses. “The compound belongs to Enda Bruton. Records say he’s the owner of several clubs in the UK.” Merlin made a “hmm” sound as he perused through the man’s file. “Probably buying Margravine’s goods and peddling them to club patrons under the table. Whatever happens in there, keep your guard up. Find Harry and bring him home. I’ll be watching if you need anything.”

Merlin’s words were a mild reassurance. Eggsy’s heart had been racing long before the estate even came into view. The short flight to Plymouth had felt like a long trip across the Atlantic. By the time Merlin gave him an address to drive to, Eggsy had created hundreds of disastrous scenarios in his head. None of them good. Was Harry alive? Was he being tortured? Was he buried out here in the middle of nowhere?

As Eggsy pulled up to the mansion, he heard the telltale bang of gunshots going off in the house. The party had started without him.

Cursing, Eggsy jumped out of the car as soon as he pulled over. He grabbed his gun from his holster and ran toward the house. No time to be discreet. Caution thrown to the wind, he kicked open the side door and rushed in. Eggsy followed the sound of chaos: gunshots, shouting, shattering glass. All the signs of a good time. He ran through the house and found several dead bodies on the floor along the hallways. Eggsy heard the sound of splintering wood in the room to his left and swung open a door to chase after the noise. He nearly collided head first into Harry. 

"Arthur!" Harry backpedaled a step and stared at Eggsy in surprise. The man had blood on the collar and cuffs of his starched white shirt and his suit jacket had taken several bullets. His hair was an untamed mess and his eyes had a touch of savageness in them. His face looked a little battered as well, but Harry was still very much alive. “Arthur, hey, it’s me!”

Freezing, Harry's eyes quickly regained focus as he stared down at Eggsy. "Galahad?" Harry asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" 

In the background, Eggsy heard Merlin, relief thick in his voice, when he said, “ _Oh, thank God_.” 

"I've saving you!" Eggsy realized how stupid he sounded when he looked around the room to see all the bleeding and battered bodies littering the floor. Saving? Who needed saving? “We lost contact with you,” Eggsy struggled to explain, feeling foolish as he said each word. “I thought you needed help.” _I was fucking worried about you_.

There was a beat of silence before Harry offered a small smile. "Thank you for your concern, but I think everything’s already been taken care of," Harry said and leaned against a wall to push the poison-tipped blade back into his Oxford. "If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have rushed through it and saved you something to do.” Harry had been an agent for over 20 years and lived through countless explosions, broken bones, and bullet wounds. Of course he hadn't needed Eggsy's help. How silly of Eggsy to think that Harry, Kingsman's top agent, had needed rescuing. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry and Eggsy wasn’t the least bit sorry for caring about a friend.

"I got us a getaway car at least," Eggsy offered as Harry pushed his hair out of his eyes only to have a stubborn curl bounce back against his forehead. "Come on."

~*~

They stopped at the hotel Harry had been using as a temporary hideout to gather his belongings and give Harry a chance to clean up his disheveled appearance. It wouldn’t do them any good to attract unwanted attention in the regional airport where their private jet stood by. 

Glasses off and arms crossed, Eggsy leaned against the doorjamb of the bathroom and watched as Harry washed himself at the sink, rinsing dried blood from his hands and face. Harry was in his shirtsleeves, gun holster braced against his shoulders in a manner that faintly outlined Harry’s broad chest. As he watched Harry wipe away the remnants of the night’s chaos from his skin, Eggsy felt something tug in his chest, a dull, slow pang, like something had been strummed and the vibrations resonated to his core.

"It's not mine," Harry reassured when he noticed the way Eggsy stared at him with peculiar intensity. "None of it is." 

“Wasn’t you the one who told me that being cocky wasn’t gentlemanly?” Eggsy reminded absently and Harry’s reflection smiled back at him. He watched Harry pat his face dry with a towel and frowned at the pink stains on the terry cloth. Even if it wasn't Harry's blood, it didn't stop Eggsy from fretting because... 

Well… because he’d almost lost Harry again. Because it scared the fuck out of him whenever he thought about losing Harry again. Because Harry was his friend and Eggsy couldn’t imagine a life without Harry’s guidance and support; without someone he trusted so completely that he’d jump off a bridge if Harry asked him too. And contrary to what everyone thought, if it had been Harry who had asked him to shoot his damn dog, Eggsy probably would have obliged the request even if it wrecked him to do so because he trusted Harry that much. Harry would never ask him to do something so despicable unless it was absolutely necessary. 

Eggsy felt his breath hitch as he remembered the paralyzing grief that had ripped through him when he had witnessed Valentine shoot Harry point blank. He remembered sitting in the study room in stunned silence as he stared at the red walls lined with Harry’s legacy, thinking Harry would never come back to put another cover on those walls; that Harry would never come back for them to reconcile after their spat. 

Eggsy let out a shaky breath and stared back at Harry when Harry turned to face him with concern.

“Eggsy? Are you all right?” Harry approached him with a tilt of his head, sensing Eggsy’s skittish demeanor.

Fuck it. Everything in the past few weeks had culminated to this, hadn’t it?

Eggsy felt a gentle pull, like every single cell in his body was magnetically drawn to Harry. In denial, he stood fast for a second, but it was like resisting a force of nature. As though he were in a trance and unable to resist any longer, Eggsy stepped forward, rested a hand on Harry's hip, and tipped his head up. He only saw Harry's startled expression for a fraction of a second before he closed his eyes and pressed their lips together. 

The kiss was chaste and firm — a tender and cautious kiss that surprised them both. It was a simple touch of skin, one that sent a shock through his system, a power surge that forced everything into a reboot cycle. Eggsy heard and felt Harry draw in a slow breath and he braced himself for rejection. But rather than getting shoved away, Eggsy felt Harry's rough palms and calloused fingers against his face, cradling.

When he felt the pad of Harry's thumb run along his jawline, Eggsy made a low sound from the back of his throat, half a groan and half a whine, begging to deepen the kiss. His mouth opened obediently to Harry's ministrations and all logic seemed to fade. All he could think of was how Harry's soft lips felt against his own; how Harry's tongue was slick and unbelievably clever as it slid against his own. 

Harry sucked on Eggsy's lower lip and scraped his teeth lightly against the swollen flesh when he released it. It was a move that left Eggsy breathless and weak in the knees. Desperate for more contact, Eggsy's hands roamed, tugging Harry's shirt tails from his trousers to reach skin. When Eggsy’s cool fingertips grazed Harry’s trim stomach, he felt Harry gasp against his mouth.

Harry pulled back from the kiss. "Eggsy," he spoke, his voice low and husky. It sounded like sex — promising, filthy, steamy sex. 

"Shh," Eggsy whispered against the corner of Harry's mouth. He didn’t want Harry to talk reason, didn’t want Harry to talk them out of this. Now was not the time nor place for this, but Eggsy couldn’t be arsed to care about anything but kissing Harry again. Harry hesitated, a small frown puckering his brow as he tried to make sense of what was happening. When it seemed like Harry was slowly snapping out of it, Eggsy buried his fingers in Harry’s hair and tightened his grip. He wasn’t ready for this to end just yet. After all those times he’d been caught daydreaming, Eggsy could finally conclude that, yes, Harry was indeed a skilled kisser and Eggsy was determined to put every last detail to memory. To Eggsy’s relief, the tension in Harry’s shoulders slowly ebbed away, giving in. He felt Harry sigh against his mouth. Harry softened and melted into him, tilting his head just so to get more access to Eggsy’s mouth.

They kissed messily and their hands fumbled in between their bodies as they worked on buttons and clasps and too many fucking layers of clothing. They stumbled to the single bed like drunks, tipping onto it because they were so absorbed in one another and couldn’t be bothered to break their deep wet kisses to see where they were going. On his back, Harry propped himself on his elbows to meet Eggsy when Eggsy straddled his lap and leaned down to capture Harry’s reddened mouth in another needy kiss. 

Fingers scrabbled to pull off any bits of clothes they could reach. Suit jackets and gun holsters were discarded somewhere in the fray. Ties slithered off their necks. Unbuttoned shirts hung from their shoulders.

Eggsy was intoxicated by it all — the feel of Harry’s skin, the way Harry’s cologne made him smell fresh even after a rough night out, the sounds Harry made when they kissed again and again. Harry’s mouth was hot and slick under his own, lips parting when Eggsy demanded entrance. Harry relented to every one of Eggsy’s silent requests and the power trip was exhilarating. Eggsy was high on adrenaline, heartbeat pounding wildly and blood rushing straight to his cock as Harry panted and nipped at his lower lip again.

They didn’t whisper sweet nothings or gaze lovingly into each other eyes. Instead, they were consumed by baser primal needs. Eggsy felt like he was in a stupor of lust, driven by an animalistic urge of want and need. Whether 20 or 50, Harry was bloody gorgeous and fit as fuck with firm pecs, a trim waist, and legs that went on for days. Harry’s proportions were ridiculously ideal, and Eggsy wondered why he had never noticed it before. It was unfair for someone to age this well, growing more attractive with each passing year.

Eggsy stared down at the stunning sight under him: dark hair curling at the ends and sticking up in the most attractive manner, skin flush with arousal, white shirt on the cusp of slipping off a broad shoulder. Harry looked positively indecent and one breath away from being wrecked. For a second, Eggsy felt déjà vu and recalled this very image causing his downward spiral; Margravine on her knees servicing Harry. A flash of competitiveness sparked through Eggsy and he pressed his mouth firmly against Harry’s again, inexplicably possessive. He could do better and was determined to prove it.

Eggsy pressed a kiss along Harry’s chin and felt Harry swallow when Eggsy lips made a trail down his neck. Lower still, Eggsy made his way down the length of Harry’s body and kissed every inch of bare skin he could reach: Harry’s delicate collar bone, the scar on the left side of Harry’s ribs, the flat plane of his stomach. He left light nips and sucks against warm, salty skin, always careful not to leave any marks. Against Eggsy’s attentive mouth, Harry arched and made deliciously throaty moans, shivering when Eggsy reached a ticklish spot. He was hard and thick, straining against the front of his tailored trousers, by the time Eggsy made it below his belly button, right where a light smattering of hair thickened downward. Harry lifted his hips helpfully when Eggsy worked on his trousers, unbuttoning and tugging them down his long legs.

Eggsy settled between Harry’s thighs. Sitting on his heels, he leaned over and rested his elbows on either side of Harry’s hips. He'd gotten an eyeful of Harry’s cock before, but not like this, not up close and personal. Eggsy wrapped his fingers around the base to appreciate its girth and felt his mouth water. It was thick, considerable, and slightly curved with a smooth crown — the kind of cock that would leave an indulgent ache in the morning, man or woman. Lowering his mouth, Eggsy licked the underside of Harry’s cock with the flat of his tongue, pulling back foreskin as he got to the top to swipe at the salty drop of pre-come that had beaded at the tip.

“Christ.” Eggsy heard Harry’s breathy gasp and felt Harry’s length throb hot against his hand. As he did the motion again, getting Harry wet with his tongue, Eggsy’s eyes flicked up briefly and their gazes met. Harry’s eyes were heavy-lidded, brown irises nearly black, as he watched Eggsy run pink lips against his rigid cock. The fact that Harry was _watching_ him sent a shiver of arousal down Eggsy’s spine and straight to his own cock, a surge of red hot lust that made it impossible to think about anything else but ‘ _more’._ Eggsy opened his mouth to suck Harry in deep, lips sliding down the length as far as he could go without gagging. Harry’s groan was the fucking filthiest thing Eggsy had ever heard.

As he set a rhythm with his mouth, Eggsy focused on his senses: the male taste of Harry, the feel of hot, silky skin against his tongue, the small quiver in Harry’s thigh as he got closer to climax. Even the scent of Harry’s arousal washed over him in an irresistible wave. He used a little teeth to graze the delicate skin and Harry grunted, hips jerking so that his cock hit the back of Eggsy’s throat. Eggsy moved his right hand from the base, sliding it upward to stroke Harry’s length in time with his mouth. He knew he’d struck gold when Harry threw his head back and gave a deep appreciative moan. A hand crept down to cup the back of Eggsy’s head — not forceful, but encouraging — as Harry’s hips thrust up involuntarily, seeking more of the wet heat of Eggsy’s mouth. 

“Eggsy.” Harry’s voice was low and gravelly, the kind of voice that could give hundreds of women daddy issues they didn’t know they had. “I’m afraid I’m not going to last very long.” Mouth full, Eggsy could only make a sound of encouragement as he tightened his lips around Harry’s cock. Kingsman had them on a cocktail of preventative drugs and it allowed Eggsy to be reckless. He heard Harry’s breath grow shallow and felt Harry’s fingers tighten in his hair. When he felt the first splash of come on his tongue, Eggsy worked Harry through it in tight grip, slow and easy until Harry shuddered and hissed when he got too sensitive. 

“Mmh,” Eggsy murmured when he lifted his head, swallowed the mouthful dutifully, and wiped saliva off his chin with the back of his hand. He shifted to lay beside Harry and Harry turned toward him so they could face each other. Despite his lips feeling raw and swollen, Eggsy moaned enthusiastically when Harry leaned in and captured his mouth in another hungry kiss, sharing the lingering taste of himself on Eggsy’s tongue. It was fucking surreal. Eggsy felt like he was in a dream where logic and sense didn’t matter and he could do as he pleased because this couldn’t be real. Never in a million years. 

His hips moved instinctively, pushing against Harry’s hand when he felt Harry grope him, giving his hard-on a squeeze through his trousers. Eggsy whimpered against Harry’s mouth when Harry undid the fly of his trousers and pulled his rock hard cock out. Fucking finally. Eggsy had been so turned on he’d left a damp spot of against the front of his pants. A little spit and pre-come were enough lubrication for Harry to stroke him off in a firm grip. For a minute, Eggsy watched the unbelievably hot visual of his cock slipping between Harry’s fingers. Then his head fell forward, tucking into the spot between Harry’s neck and shoulder, as he gripped at Harry’s sleeve for support and focused on the sensation. His hips rocked forward, fucking into Harry’s tight fist and loving the way Harry twisted his wrist slightly at the tip. 

The room was quiet but for his grunts and groans and the slick sound of Harry’s hand moving over him. Eggsy didn’t last very long either and he didn’t care enough to be embarrassed by it. His thoughts blurred and white-hot pleasure ran down his spine, building tension low in his belly and winding him up tighter and tighter until he hit his breaking point. When his orgasm barreled through him, Eggsy gave a coarse shout, muffling it against Harry’s neck as best he could. His skin prickled with heat and a high state of ecstasy flooded his veins. He poured himself into Harry’s hand, climax hitting so hard that he trembled against Harry and dug his fingers into the man's arm, desperate for something to ground him. Then, Eggsy’s whole body went slack and boneless like he’d turned into jelly.

With a quiet groan, Eggsy gave one last shiver before pulling away and rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. For a brief moment, his mind was blissed out and his nerve endings tingled with pleasure. He couldn’t remember ever coming that hard from a hand job before; with Harry of all people. Eggsy turned his head to glance at Harry and Harry looked back at him with a sated smile. The atmosphere wasn’t romantic per se, but a soothing lull of contentedness settled between them. 

Unfortunately, the adrenaline wore off almost as quickly as it had burst into his system. As Eggsy gradually caught his breath, his dreamy post orgasmic haze dissipated and clarity slowly sank in. Reality. 

Shit. 

Before the come on Harry’s skin had even begun to get tacky, panic crept into the pit of Eggsy’s stomach. Cold dread speared through Eggsy and his instincts screamed damage control when he realized how reckless he’d been. What had they done?

Friends. They were supposed to be friends. Colleagues even. Harry was his god damn boss for fuck’s sake. And now everything had gone to shit because Eggsy hadn’t been thinking straight when he pulled the man in for a kiss. Everything had escalated out of his control. Clearly, he hadn’t given it a lot of thought when they kissed, but he didn’t want Harry to get the wrong impression. Eggsy wasn’t trying to climb the office ladder or get a raise by hooking up with the boss. He certainly didn’t want to make things awkward or change anything between them because their status quo had been working just fine.

“We’re still friends, yeah?” Eggsy blurted out before his brain could catch up with his mouth. Harry visibly tensed and slowly sat up to regard Eggsy with an inscrutable expression. Harry didn’t respond at first as he blinked at Eggsy and took in the situation, the two of them still half-dressed, sweaty, and sticky. 

“Of course,” Harry finally replied, sounding as though it shouldn’t even have been a question. As though it could have been anything else. 

Eggsy should have been offended by Harry’s tone, but he was too busy sighing in relief. He didn’t want to lose a friendship over something as stupid as an adrenaline induced hook up. And yet, Eggsy felt oddly unsettled as he watched Harry climb out of bed and make his way to the bathroom to clean up (again). It was the answer he’d wanted, but it left Eggsy with an inexplicable mixture of relief and regret. 

“We should head out before Merlin sends more backup. If this is the new protocol for rescue missions, I don’t think I have the energy tonight for an orgy,” Harry said wryly. Eggsy couldn’t help but smile in response and quickly got out of bed to follow Harry’s lead. 

“By the way,” Harry said when they were clean and dressed again. He tossed a small object toward Eggsy, who caught it deftly in one hand. 

“What’s this?” Eggsy asked, peering at the Kingsman key chain in his palm. From past experience, Eggsy knew that it hid a secret USB compartment, but what had Harry risked his life for?

“Information.” Harry’s smile was a mile wide as he took one last look at his reflection to straighten his tie and secure it with an expensive, rose-gold clip. “I found it on Enda’s laptop. It’s all the data on Margravine’s latest sale including a whole network of buyers and log of when the next shipments are going to arrive.”

Eggsy slowly put two and two together. “You let them take you to their hideout on purpose so you could grab more information?”

Harry seemed affronted by Eggsy’s surprise. “You didn’t honestly think my skills have slipped so much that a handful of amateur thugs could take me down, did you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll won't even believe how many times I rewrote this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite Harry’s reassurance, Eggsy expected things to be awkward and strained for a few weeks. Except Harry had years of espionage experience under his belt and would have won a BAFTA or an Oscar if “real life performances” were a category. The flight home had been relatively quiet with Harry on the comms talking to Merlin or more like trying to calm their quartermaster down before he gave himself an aneurysm. They parted ways unceremoniously when they arrived back at headquarters. Whisked away by Merlin and Charles, the head doctor, Harry barely had time to give Eggsy a second glance before Eggsy found himself alone in the hangar bay like an afterthought. 

A few days later, when they bumped into each other in the hallways of the mansion, Harry nodded at him in his usual polite manner. “Galahad. How are you?”

Eggsy plastered a grin on his face and replied, “Good. Just checked out the latest class of recruits trying out for Geraint’s title.” They were still filling out the table after V-day and Geraint was the last open seat. One could only hope they found someone capable soon since all the agents were still spread too thin. When he first became an agent, Eggsy thought the jet-setting lifestyle was living the dream, but now even he was beginning to find it a little exhausting.

“Any promising candidates?”

“A few. Hard to tell with first impressions.”

“Well, I was right about you wasn’t I?” Harry said with a softness in his gaze that made Eggsy feel like he was glowing from the tips of his ears down to his toes, blushing bright with pride. Before he could think of a response, Harry continued, “It’s hard to imagine having gone through the same thing, isn’t it?”

“Feels like years ago,” Eggsy agreed even though he’d only had his one-year anniversary a few months ago. “You never went into detail about yours, you know.” Of course, they’d talked about Harry’s trials before, but only for Harry to point out the differences and how they had modified the tests over time to keep up with technology.

Harry gave him a sly look. “I think you already know. Last I heard, Merlin still used me as an example of what _not_ to do on the job. It’s practically its own study course.”

“Shut up. That was you?” Eggsy exclaimed with wide eyes. “I thought they was just stories about some agent who died early and Merlin was just trying to scare us from fucking up too.”

Harry’s eyes twinkled and he looked much too pleased with himself. “I’m very much alive.” And thank god for that. Eggsy couldn’t imagine having come this far, from street urchin to secret agent, without Harry’s guidance. “But, it’s nothing compared to your story. An agent who failed his test and still got knighted. They altered the test and removed the last bit altogether because of you. Decades of tradition. Unheard of, really.” Harry failed to mention that such a thing would have never happened if not for his intense dislike of the agency’s old-fashioned traditions. 

Eggsy smiled back. “You did say you’d sort things out when you got back from Kentucky. ”

“Yes, well, I was going to pull some strings and hire you as a custodian. I figured something would be better than nothing.” Eggsy threw his head back and laughed as Harry grinned, looking boyishly young despite the small crinkles in the corner of his eyes. “I didn’t want to see your potential go to waste.”

“Piss off, Harry.”

“Ahem…” Sandhir, or Sunny as he liked to go by, cut their conversation short with a light cough. He was in his early 20s, with smooth and tanned skin, deep brown eyes, and jet black hair. He had a dense, short beard that was painstakingly maintained with a little expensive wax and his hair was long on top and cropped on the sides, brushed back and held in place with gel so it appeared glossy in the light. In tan twill trousers and a gingham checked shirt, Sunny looked more like a university hipster than a technical specialist capable of hacking into the NCA. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but could I have a minute of your time?” He pushed his thick black frames up the high bridge of his nose. “I need to talk to you about the case in Serbia.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Excuse us, Galahad.” 

Before Sunny ushered Harry away, Eggsy spoke up, “dinner tomorrow night?” 

Harry glanced back at him and nodded. “The usual place?” There was a great greasy pub a few blocks away that was always worth a stop for a drink, hot chips, and a wide selection of other over-indulgent pub fare.

“Yeah, I wanna hear about all the shit you pulled when you was a recruit. From the horse’s mouth.” Harry’s dimples sunk in deep when he smiled and followed Sunny down the hallway. 

And just like that, the world continued to spin on its axis. 

~*~

Three weeks later, Eggsy and Harry found themselves in the heart of Paris, a gorgeous and ridiculously romantic city. The city was enchanting with its maze of quaint cobblestone streets and bakeries wafting enticing sweet smells of freshly baked bread and buttery pastries. There were cafes lined with couples engaged in deep conversations as they shared drinks and cigarettes. There were lovers on every block, getting married, getting engaged, enjoying a honeymoon, or just having a sexy getaway to spice up their lives. In Paris, people weren’t shy about public displays of affection, holding hands as they walked, cuddling on benches, or outright locking lips with the gorgeous city as a backdrop. 

He and Harry went to Paris to investigate a blood diamond smuggling route. They’d been paired off because Harry was no longer allowed to go far without a chaperone after his stunt in Plymouth. Harry had been miffed by the vote and felt like it was an overreaction when he had come back from Plymouth perfectly fine. Nevertheless, it was the will of the agency and Arthur’s power was not unilateral. Harry was still too reckless despite his promises and he was too key a figure to let loose unattended. 

Eggsy was swept away by the look and feel of the city. No surprise, Harry was also fluent in French while Eggsy’s grasp of the language was still basic. He had learned nothing past “ _Comment allez-vous?_ ” and “ _Où sont les toilettes?_ ”. French 101. He’d have to dedicate some time to learn more because Eggsy was entranced by it, especially when Harry spoke it. Christ, did the man have any flaws besides his absurdly curly hair?

Eggsy was easily distracted by Harry’s voice and accent, even when the man was just ordering them café au lait and croissants for breakfast. Maybe the city was rubbing off on him with its infectious atmosphere, but Eggsy started to feel warm under the collar whenever their eyes met. His breath hitched whenever Harry leaned over to murmur something in his ear and he caught the familiar whiff of Harry’s spicy cologne. Surrounded by lovey-dovey couples, Eggsy thought about that one night in Plymouth; a night neither of them had spoken about since and a night Eggsy had moved on from because it had meant nothing to either of them. It had been about pure, unadulterated sex, driven by the sudden rush of adrenaline and fear of losing someone dearly close to him. Nothing more, or so he thought.

On their last evening in the city, Eggsy was feeling pleasantly buzzed from all the red wine they’d had with dinner. Who knew a pinot noir could go so well with a bunch of chips, er, pomme frites? They had celebrated a job well done with a bottle or two and Eggsy’s fingertips were a little tingly by the end of the night. His face was feeling toasty warm. He swayed _juuust_ slightly as he walked down the hotel corridor. 

They were retiring to their hotel rooms and Harry was prattling on about the architecture of Paris during the 18th century. He spoke about the neoclassic columns brought on by Louis XIV and was quite charming all rosy-cheeked and glassy-eyed, but looking nowhere near as sloshed as Eggsy felt. Being a functioning alcoholic probably gave Harry a much higher tolerance than most people. Still, all Eggsy could do was nod and snigger internally as he thought about a column he'd like to show Harry while the man explained the differences between Doric and Corinthian pillars. Harry had an endearing habit of rambling about random facts when he was lubricated with enough alcohol.

Harry was so adorable sometimes. Eggsy smiled as he tried to decide whether Harry was bordering on “oh my god, I wish he would shut up already about those god damn columns,” or “he’s so fucking precious that I want to kiss him”.

Eggsy opened the door to his hotel room and reached over and wrapped his fingers around Harry's tie to pull the man closer before he could think about his the consequences of actions. Harry's mouth was soft and warm against his own when they kissed. Eggsy's back hit the wall and the heavy door shut behind them with a firm thud, finally giving them some privacy. 

Harry didn't resist. In fact, he kissed Eggsy back in a slow leisurely manner like they had all the time in the world. Eggsy deepened the kiss, letting his tongue twine with Harry's to explore lazily. His head felt heavy, cloudy, judgment gone like it'd been blown away by a gust of wind in the chilly Parisian night.

It felt good. It was nice. Kissing Harry like this, like they'd been lovers for a long time and were still very much into each other. There was a sweet decadence in the way Harry took his time to taste Eggsy. A part of Eggsy’s mind was scolding him, nagging at him that this was wrong, but it _felt_ so fucking right. He was pinned against the wall by the weight of Harry’s body, pressed flush against the man, chest to thigh. Harry fit against him perfectly. His thigh slotted between Eggsy’s, pressing in a way that made heat settle low in Eggsy’s belly. Lust unfurled itself, simmering towards a boiling point. Without a doubt, Eggsy knew Harry could feel the thickening bulge in his pants. Harry rested a hand against the wall near Eggsy’s head. The other arm snaked around Eggsy’s waist to hold him close and flush like a possessive lover

Eggsy let go of Harry’s tie and reached up to bury his fingers in Harry’s thick hair, full of soft curls. Harry licked into his mouth with long and deep strokes of his tongue, eliciting all kinds of embarrassing sounds from Eggsy’s throat. Their lips met again and again, pulling apart only for quick short gasps when it grew so intense that it nearly smothered the air around them. Eggsy leaned into Harry, drawn to the warmth and slick of Harry’s mouth until his head spun. They kissed until Eggsy’s breath felt like it belonged to Harry’s and possibly even his soul for that brief interlude. 

Greedily, Eggsy sought more and rubbed up against Harry’s thigh. He felt Harry’s matching arousal press against his hip and made the motion again, deliberately slow and firm to coax breathy moans from Harry’s mouth. The tension, the need, and desire between them grew with each brush of Harry’s soft mouth against his own. The air felt like it was fizzing and crackling around them like tangible energy until Eggsy had to pull away, overwhelmed with want for the older man. Eggsy was so turned on that Harry could have turned him around and fucked him against the wall with little more than spit for lube and Eggsy would have been perfectly fine with that. 

Breaking the kiss, Harry panted and rested his forehead against Eggsy’s, bumping their noses. Eggsy could feel Harry’s sharp breaths against his reddened lips matching his own breathlessness, chest heaving as he panted for air. He wondered if Harry’s heart was also pounding like his own, so fiercely that it ached. Harry was gazing down at him, staring at Eggsy’s kiss-swollen mouth as though he were contemplating another go. Eggsy’s body was already going into withdrawal from their brief pause. He needed more. He felt addicted to this like it was a hit of dopamine and he was already missing that high. Eggsy blinked slowly and lowered his lashes when Harry tilted his head with the intent of ravishing his mouth again, but they were both startled by an innocuous, familiar chirp notifying them that someone was requesting to open a communication line.

Shit.

“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me,” Eggsy muttered when Harry pulled away hastily. 

“It’s mine,” Harry said, voice arousingly deep and hoarse, as he fished his glasses out from the inside pocket of his suit. Clearing his throat, Harry turned away as he put on his glasses and tapped the side to initiate the comms. “Yes? Ah, Merlin.”

Eggsy sighed and let his head fall back, thudding light against the wall. He resisted the urge to shiver as cool air filled the space Harry occupied a moment ago. He wasn’t sure if Merlin knew about their little tryst, but Harry had some level of discretion and Merlin hadn’t looked at him or treated him any differently in the past few months. Eggsy used the opportunity to catch his breath and let his heart’s pace settle so it wasn’t jackhammering in his chest anymore. The uncomfortable stretch in his pants eventually grew less tight. Talk about a mood killer. He stared at Harry’s broad back and listened as Harry made affirmative sounds full of “Mhms” and “I sees”. From Harry’s serious tone, it didn’t sound like good news, but no call in the middle of the night was ever good news.

“Get me on a call with the Prime Minister then. Patch me in as soon as you can.” Sighing, Harry took his glasses off to signal the end of the conversation and he turned back toward Eggsy with a regretful look. “I have to go back to my room. Merlin needs me.”

“Are you fuckin’ serious?” _I_ need you.

Harry smiled softly and reached up to cup Eggsy’s face, caressing Eggsy’s lush mouth with a thumb. “Gawain’s gotten himself into a bloody mess. I’m afraid I might be up all night dealing with this.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Eggsy mumbled against Harry’s thumb.

Harry shook his head. “It’s merely a diplomatic matter. You should get some rest.” Harry gazed at Eggsy’s mouth but dropped his hand when his glasses chirped again. Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly. Merlin worked fast. “Sleep well, Eggsy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Eggsy let out a disappointed huff of air. “’Night, Haz. Try not to lose your temper with the PM again, yeah?” Harry laughed lightly as he left and shut the door after himself.

Well, fuck. Eggsy stumbled to the bed and toed off his shoes before slumping onto mattress with a loud thump. He laid perpendicular to the wide bed and stared at the bare ceiling as he contemplated his terrible life choices. Eggsy wasn’t sure what he had expected to happen tonight. It had been a spur of the moment kind of thing emboldened by alcohol and the comfort of familiarity. 

What the fuck was he doing? Eggsy didn’t have a fucking clue. Eggsy was rash and reckless. That was his M.O., but what was Harry’s excuse? Why did Harry play along instead of pushing him away like a sane person? Did he even have an opinion about this or was he like Eggsy, a creature of instinct who did whatever felt good at the moment? Harry was an impulsive person and he didn’t seem to dislike kissing Eggsy, but he also never made the first move either. He seemed like a neutral participant, going with the flow toward the path of least resistance. 

Either way, Eggsy had to cut this shit out. It didn’t matter if Harry was into it or not. Blurring the lines between friends, lovers, and co-workers was inappropriate and always a bad idea. Don’t shit where you eat. Don’t dip your pen in the company ink. Don’t get your honey where you make your money. Or whatever the fuck that saying was. Eggsy was too buzzed to remember, but this carelessness between the two of them could only result in a disaster of epic proportions. 

He was still young, busy having a little fun and exploring all the pleasures life offered. He was nowhere close to looking for anything long-term. Knowing Harry’s track record, the man wasn’t capable of maintaining a relationship anyway, but that was putting the cart before the horse because neither of them wanted anything serious. In Plymouth, Harry had reassured him that nothing had changed over a little quickie. Maybe they could be friends with benefits, but there were plenty of anecdotes to prove that those friendships always ended in ruin. One party always developed feelings while the other party wanted to keep having fun. That was just a terrible idea.

The solution was easy. Even his booze addled brain could figure it out. Eggsy had to stop. No more fucking about. They would remain lifelong, _platonic_ friends and that was it. Simple and easy, yeah? Eggsy yawned and stretched out on bed properly. He grabbed one of the six, thick, down pillows at the head of the bed and tucked it under his head to get comfortable. Just for a second, Eggsy closed his eyes to keep his vision from swimming.

When he opened his eyes next, it was morning and Eggsy woke up feeling, well, hung over. No surprise there. It wasn’t enough to be nauseous, but enough that he needed something to make the dull throbbing in his head go away and needed something to get the dry, stuffed-cotton feeling out of his mouth. Eggsy crawled out of bed to find his toiletries bag and fished out two paracetamol. He drank them down with a little tap water from the sink. Sighing at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Eggsy quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth. He looked like shit. His clothes were a wrinkled mess from sleeping in them last night and his eyes looked bloodshot despite how heavily he had slept. 

“How do you manage to look so sharp this fuckin’ early in the morning?” Eggsy asked when he met Harry in the hotel lobby. “Aren’t older people supposed to feel shittier after drinking all night?” Harry was in a checked grey wool suit with a navy tie to complement his ensemble. He looked well put together in contrast to Eggsy’s disheveled appearance. The only sign that Harry had been affected by last night’s little fete and had pulled an all-nighter was the tortoiseshell sunglasses he wore indoors as he waited for Eggsy to show up. He was probably hiding a pair of bloodshot eyes and prominent dark circles behind those glasses.

“Staying hydrated helps.” Harry held out a bottle of water which Eggsy accepted gratefully. “At least you can be smug that you’ll recover much faster than me.”

Eggsy laughed as he twisted the cap off his bottle and drank half of it in one go. “Doesn’t help the fact that I still feel like shit right now though.”

Harry smirked and shook his head at Eggsy. “Come along. We’ve got a flight to catch. Maybe we can sleep it off on the way back.”

“Did you even get any sleep at all last night?”

“Not as much as I would have liked, but at least Gawain will be safe at home by the time we land in London.”

~*~

Time flew by in a blur. Days turned into weeks which bled into months as Eggsy finished mission after mission and their mistakes became nothing but a distant memory. Although Eggsy’s gaze lingered on Harry once in a while, he was comfortable with the way things were now. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't attracted to Harry anymore. Harry was a handsome bloke who took good care of himself, so the attraction would always be there. But whatever Eggsy had felt before, set ablaze in Plymouth and Paris, was more like a little pile of smoldering embers now, and that Eggsy could manage that and pretend like he didn't feel the heat whenever Harry looked at him. Their friendship continued. Thrived. Sometimes, it felt like it had all been a dream. 

It was well past nine when Eggsy packed his bags to leave his office. He’d inherited Harry’s office during the reorg; a decent sized room with tall, southern-facing windows that allowed for maximum light to filter in throughout the day. When Eggsy brought him along to work, JB loved to nap in a patch of warm sunlight and Eggsy couldn’t help but smile as he worked to the sound of the pug snoring loudly through his short snout. It was a shame he wasn’t there often enough to appreciate the space. 

He’d spent the day studying up his latest target, Ethan Thompson. He was head of a gang suspected of misdemeanor crimes but recently linked to something much more severe: several missing person cases from the east end of London. Eggsy had memorized every facet, every little detail in the man’s file. If there was anyone Eggsy hated most, it was people with police records of domestic violence and child abuse. It hit a little too close to home, but he had reassured Merlin and Arthur that he’d be okay. Eggsy wouldn’t let his personal projections cloud his judgment. Besides, no one else could pass off as a hooligan like Eggsy could. Eggsy had laughed so hard that he cried the last time Roxy had tried to speak like a chavette. No, this was Eggsy’s area of expertise and he reveled in the opportunity of having the upper hand compared to his other well-bred colleagues.

The shuttle back to the shop was quiet, soothing to where Eggsy almost dozed off during the short ride. He reached the Kingsman shop front and exited the dressing room just in time block Harry’s entrance on his way in. 

“Harry!”

Harry looked just as surprised to see Eggsy in the tailor shop at such a late hour. “Eggsy, what are you still doing here?” He asked. 

“I could say the same to you,” Eggsy said. “Don’t tell me you’re coming into the office to work, Haz. It’s fuckin’ late. You look like you could use some rest.” Harry looked like he’d had a rough night out. His tie was askew and his hair looked like he’d taken a walk on a windy Autumn evening.

“You know what they say, Eggsy.”

“No rest for the wicked,” he finished for Harry, familiar enough to know Harry’s favorite sayings. “Have you at least eaten dinner?” 

“Yes,” Harry said slowly, “I just came back from dinner actually.”

 _Oh_. Eggsy’s eyes widened a fraction as he looked at Harry from head to toe, scrutinizing every telltale detail again with a new set of eyes. Eggsy felt a jumble of emotions, which took him by surprise because he should have felt nothing at all. When he raised his gaze to meet Harry’s again, his eyes lingered on Harry’s mouth and he frowned. “Wait, you still got something on ya.” 

Eggsy reached up and ran his thumb roughly across Harry’s mouth to wipe away the stain of red lipstick. “Margravine?”

“Unfortunately,” Harry confirmed, his words muffled by Eggsy’s finger. The makeup was stubborn and Eggsy licked the pad of his thumb and attempted to rub off the offending lipstick again. Eggsy tamped down the annoyance that flared up inside. He knew it was all for work, but something about seeing traces of Margravine on Harry unsettled him. It was like she had marked her territory, claiming Harry as hers and she had no right. Harry was too good for the likes of her, too good for most people, who could never appreciate Harry for who he truly was.

Frowning at Harry’s mouth, it took a second for Eggsy to realize the liberty he’d taken. He froze, thumb pressed against Harry’s lower lip. Harry had stilled as well and gazed down at him curiously. Time seemed to slow to a stop as they stood in the doorway of the dressing room. Daring as ever, Eggsy ran his finger against Harry’s mouth one more time, slow and deliberate to reminisce in the feel of its warmth and softness, before letting his hand drop. 

Smoldering embers, Eggsy. He kept himself in check and curled his fingers into a fist by his side. “I didn’t know you was still seein’ her.” It had been months since the last time he heard of her.

“On and off,” Harry admitted with a shrug of a shoulder. Something in the pit of Eggsy’s stomach curled itself into knots. “It’s like cutting off the head of a Hydra. Cut off one supply and more pop up. Her trafficking business is still as robust as ever. At some point, we'll have to arrest her but not before we identify her primary source.” 

“I get it,” Eggsy said. “She’s small time like Dean. She’s the bait you use to catch bigger fish.”

“Exactly.”

Their conversation got cut short when Eggsy’s phone went off. “Sorry,” he said as fished out his phone and rejected the call. He didn’t need to answer the call to remind him why he was heading out the door to begin with. “I gotta run. I’m supposed to be meeting someone at 10.”

“Date night?”

“With Roxy.” Eggsy informed him and cleared his throat when Harry arched an eyebrow. “She wanted to go out for drinks,” Eggsy clarified lest Harry think he and Rox were dating or involved romantically. “It ain’t like that. Not like-” Eggsy paused. He’d been about to say “you and me”, but that hadn’t sounded right because there wasn’t anything between him and Harry. Aside from a one-time thing and some heavy making out, they weren’t anything.

To his credit, Harry seemed unfazed. “Please send her my regards. I hope she’s doing well.”

“She’s bloody miserable, Haz. Did you really have to put her on probation?” Whatever happened on her last job was under tight wraps. It had been so bad that Harry had ordered her to take a whole month off and maybe even longer depending on how her psych evaluations came out. Although Roxy had come home alive and the mission had been declared a success, Harry hadn’t said a peep about what had happened and neither had anyone else involved in the mission. That just led to wild gossip and rumors which Eggsy ignored.

Harry’s expression darkened somewhat. “I did what I had to do and Lancelot requested to keep it confidential. You could ask her about it when you see her tonight.” Harry broke their gaze and glanced down at his watch. “You’d better go. You’re already late.” 

“Yeah. Don’t stay too late, Haz.”

Harry shook his head and smiled. “I’m not the one who’s got someone waiting for me.” 

~*~

Eggsy knew he was in for a night when he arrived at Milk and Honey, a swanky lounge in Soho that was the hot spot for elite kids this season. Judging from her glassy brown eyes and the way she swayed to her feet when she got up from her stool to hug him, Roxy was already a few drinks in by the time he arrived. 

“Bloody hell, Rox. What the fuck happened in Bolivia?” He blurted out.

“I don’t want to talk about Bolivia,” she said shortly and climbed back on her seat at the bar. “Let’s talk about something else. Tell me how everyone’s doing.” It was the first time he’d seen her since she returned from what he guessed had been a disastrous job. Responding sparingly to his texts, Roxy had holed herself at home, taking consolation in ice cream and wine until she got cabin fever and decided to go out for a distraction and change in scenery. At least she wasn’t drinking alone anymore.

“How many drinks have you had?” Eggsy asked as he eyed the half-finished gin and tonic in front of her and another empty glass beside it.

Roxy stared at it with a frown pinching her elegant brow as she tried to remember. “Three? Maybe four? You’re behind.”

Christ. Eggsy shook his head as he took the seat beside hers and waved for the bartender’s attention. He ordered a martini and stared at his companion while he waited for his drink. Roxy wasn’t normally like this. She was usually the straight-laced type, too much of an obedient do-gooder to go on a tear like this. But whenever she was in this mood, it always meant something had gone wrong, something that threatened to ruin her perfect record. Always the perfect one. The perfect daughter. The perfect student. The perfect spy. It was the kind of mood that made her say “fuck it” to everything she had worked for because her reputation didn’t matter anymore. Instead, she worked on her fourth gin and tonic and asked about his family to distract herself from a downward spiral.

Unfortunately, Roxy a bit of a lightweight. She was too petite and slender to handle as much alcohol as Eggsy could and usually nursed her drinks with a healthy side of water to keep up with the blokes. Within half an hour, Rosy was three sheets to the wind. He hadn’t even finished his second drink when all the alcohol hit and she looked like she was about to fall off her seat. 

“All right, Luv. Time to go.” 

When they reached her flat, Roxy nearly ate it on the steps up. It was no surprise given her state of inebriation and her 5-inch heels. 

“Jesus, Rox. Get your shit together or they’re gonna keep you on probation for another month.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” was the muffled response. 

Throwing an arm over his shoulders, Roxy leaned against Eggsy and made no protest when Eggsy wrapped an arm around her narrow waist to help her up the two flights of stairs to her flat. There were plenty of times in the past when they had partied hard and their roles reversed. Roxy had a much more challenging time lugging Eggsy’s heavy weight home though. When she fumbled with her keys, he plucked them from her hand and unlocked the front door to get inside. Roxy swayed for a second as she shrugged off her pea coat and suddenly made a mad dash to the bathroom. Groaning, Eggsy went to the kitchen to pull out a cold Pellegrino from the fridge before following his friend into the bathroom to find her on her knees, bracing herself against the edges of the toilet bowl as she waited for her nausea to subside. 

“False alarm?” He asked and came over to rub her back in slow, calming strokes. She nodded miserably and stared down at the porcelain bowl. Eggsy held up the bottle of water and she took it with a small sound of gratitude. Roxy pressed the cool glass against her hot cheek for a moment before twisting open the cap and taking a few tentative sips to ease her rolling stomach.

“I had a Chianti in the kitchen,” she pointed out and Eggsy laughed softly.

“Think you’ve had enough to drink tonight.” 

Roxy slumped against the wall of the bathroom and pulled her knees up to her chest. There was a long moment of silence as Roxy drank her water and Eggsy waited patiently. “I fucked up in Bolivia,” Roxy finally confessed.

Eggsy had surmised as much, but he couldn't imagine something so bad that Harry had to put her on probation. “What did you do? Take out the wrong gang and save a bunch of people you didn’t mean to?”

Roxy smiled, but it was devoid of any humor. “I…” she struggled to admit her failings, “I was emotionally compromised in Bolivia…” 

Eggsy stared at her and she kept her eyes fixed on the floor. “You mean you-”

“I fell in love with the target.”

Eggsy gaped at her. “Shit,” he said for lack of anything better to say. She had been in Bolivia for several months, working her way into a gang, infiltrating and becoming one of them until the time was right. Roxy had always been the consummate professional. She had practically memorized the handbook on how to be a spy. How to seduce a target. How to kill someone 50 ways with a knife. She’d aced all her exams and finished her missions with nary a ding on her record. 

“Yeah,” Roxy agreed and rubbed her face with a small hand. “I should have known better, really. I was sent there to bust the gang he was a part of. I wanted to use Jaime to get into the inner circle, but Jaime was just so bloody charming. I thought I could handle it, but I was in over my head the moment he smiled at me.” She sighed, weighed down with guilt and embarrassment. Even then, Eggsy could hear the wistfulness in her voice. “And when we kissed… I can’t even begin to describe it. It made me weak.”

“I can imagine,” Eggsy murmured. He’d had one or two kisses in his lifetime that had nearly swept him off his feet. One or maybe both of them might have been from Harry, not that he was willing to admit it aloud. 

“I should have told Arthur the moment I realized I was compromised, but I’d fallen in love or I thought I had. It was like Jaime had two different personalities and I only ever saw his good one. He just seemed so…” she made a vague hand gesture, “so normal, I guess. Intelligent and down to earth. He said he loved me. He said it when kissed me every morning and it felt _real_. Somehow along the way,” Roxy shook her head in disbelief with herself, “I lost track of what was real and what wasn’t.”

“And what happened to him?” Eggsy asked carefully. 

“I killed him.” 

“Fuck.”

Roxy took a shaky breath and pressed her lips into a tight line for a moment as she composed herself. She wasn’t going to break down in front of Eggsy. She’d worked too hard to earn the respect of all her male colleagues and this had been such a big misstep. “He wasn’t very keen when he discovered I was a spy. I didn’t have a choice after he found out, but the look on his face. The betrayal…”

“Oh, Rox,” Eggsy said, trying not to sound judgmental because he had had more fuck-ups than a normal person ought to. He was in no place to condemn Roxy. She had dated an older lady a few months back, but it had ended on a dull note and faded out when they realized they didn’t have enough in common. Roxy had gotten over it quickly, not like this. She had pretended to love him at first, doing such a good job she eventually believed it herself. “He was one of the bad guys.” 

“I know. I tried to remind myself every day but love… it fucks with your head, Eggsy. I made excuses for him, saying things like he didn’t know what he was involved in. I thought maybe he needed guidance to set him on the right path.” Some guys just needed a good nudge in the right direction, the right opportunity. If Harry hadn’t given him a chance, Eggsy probably would have been working for Dean or doing petty crimes for another gang in London. “I compromised the mission and my reputation’s wrecked. Such a bloody rookie mistake. I asked Arthur and Sunny to keep it confidential at least until I get my head sorted because it’s all fucked up right now. But I — you wouldn’t understand, Eggsy. You’ve never been in love.”

Ouch. 

She probably hadn’t meant for it to come out as harsh as it did, but Roxy had a point. Eggsy stayed far, far away from those feelings. She was a prime example among many proving why love always fucked people over. If anyone was a pro at “act now, think later”, Eggsy was at the top of the list. He was hot-tempered and rash enough to know that emotions were often stronger than logic. 

Wincing, Eggsy rested a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze to comfort her. “Everyone’s allowed to slip once in a while. I’m sure Arthur and Percival have had bad fuck-ups too.” One of Harry’s mistakes had cost the life of Eggsy’s father for instance, not that Eggsy held it against Harry anymore. “We’re flawed human beings. Trust me, Rox. You’ll still be everyone’s favorite when you come back.” She gave him a skeptical look. “Come on, let’s get you into bed before you fall asleep on the floor.”

Roxy made a small sound of protest when he helped her up, but didn’t fight back as he led her to the bedroom and told her to get under the covers. With a heavy sigh, she crawled into bed and stared off in distraction toward a wall on the other side of her bed where she’d hung a collage of framed photos. It was a collection of pictures of her with friends and family ranging from when she was 10 and taking part in her first ballet recital to when she was in Uni and on the track team. There was even one with her and Eggsy after a fun night out to celebrate the both of them getting knighted. 

Leaving her alone with her thoughts for a moment, Eggsy went to fetch some items and came back with a trash bin in case she got sick in the middle of the night. Eggsy left more water on her nightstand and a bottle of Ibuprofen he’d found in one of her drawers. 

“Thanks,” Roxy mumbled and buried the right side of her face into a pillow. “I should use an amnesia dart on you.”

“Why? So I’ll forget that you’re a human being capable of making mistakes?” Eggsy asked lightly. “I know you’re always trying to look tough in front of everyone ‘cause you think you’ve got something to prove, but I’ve seen you shave your legs next to me in the shower room. I’ve had to watch you empty that plastic thing of yours in the training room when you was on your period. You don’t have anything to hide from me.”

“It’s called a Diva cup, you wanker.” This time, her smile was genuine. “Fine. But if you tell anyone, I’ll hunt you down you.”

“I’ve never grassed anyone up,” Eggsy promised her. “I’ll see you back at Kingsman soon, yeah?” Without a doubt, Eggsy knew she’d come back in full force. It was just a matter of time. Roxy just grumbled in response and he smiled as he left her to sleep off the booze and went home. 

~*~

“Galahad, how was your date night?” Harry greeted when Eggsy slipped into his office in the afternoon the next day. “You’re not too hung over, I hope.”

Eggsy felt a blush creep up his neck. “Told you, it wasn’t a date and I’m not hung over. Ain’t even close.” He plopped onto a plush leather couch and made himself at home as he’d done numerous times throughout the year. When looking for Eggsy, one only had to check Harry’s office to find Eggsy lounging there, reading, napping, or chilling there as though it were his own office. He’d had a dull day doing research on his laptop and needed a break. “What are you working on?”

Harry looked up from the report he’d been reading on a tablet. “Looking through the shipment logs in and out of Perth. Have you ever been there?”

“Australia?” Eggsy asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I meant Perth, Scotland,” Harry clarified. Oh, that was way, _way_ less impressive.

“Well, the answer’s ‘no’ to both of them.”

“Margravine is hosting a function in a gallery she owns there. Would you like to go? The gala is supposed to be in a week’s time and you know how I’m not supposed to do these things alone anymore,” Harry said with a small roll of his eyes. “That being said, she’s turned out to be a little more demanding than I anticipated.” Eggsy raised an eyebrow. “It’s difficult for me to go off on my own and investigate things when-”

“You mean, she’s fucking clingy.” Eggsy paraphrased. “Christ, you’re bloody Casanova, Harry.”

“It’s the money she’s attracted to,” Harry corrected with a chuckle, but Eggsy thought Harry was too modest. A person would be lucky to have someone like Harry in their life. “It’d be nice to have a second pair of eyes on the scene. Interested?” 

Eggsy could never say “no” to an opportunity to work with Harry.


	4. Chapter 4

Eggsy tugged on his tie for the 50th time that night. The bloody thing was on too damn tight, and he was sweating under his shirt after working through the crowd and carrying a tray loaded with wine flutes for the past two hours. Being a waiter was a lot of fucking work, but it allowed him to work the room unnoticed — purposefully ignored until someone wanted a drink. He scanned the gallery, trying to see past the dozens of guests that had shown up to the swanky party. 

It was Margravine’s annual charity gala, and the place was filled with snobby rich folks who liked to spend way too much money on questionable art. The large gallery was stereotypical with stark white walls and bright spotlights to emphasize the meticulously curated paintings on display. Sculptures decorated the hall, sitting on pedestals to enjoy from all angles. There was even a jazz band playing in the corner of the room, muted to a mezzo piano so they didn’t drown out the hushed conversations amongst the elite crowd. The whole place reeked of pretentiousness and money, and Eggsy resented every single person in the room save for one.

Every so often, he heard a laugh from the host, bright and cheerful, perhaps a little _too_ cheerful that it sounded borderline artificial. Margravine worked the crowd, flitting from one group to another with Harry in tow. She was in her element, glowing in the backdrop of spotlights. She wore a slinky navy dress that seemed to gleam against the lights as she moved. Her long, auburn hair was styled in Hollywood waves, cascading down her back and narrow shoulders. Ruby red lips, smoky eyes, and dewy skin finished the look. For someone her age, Margravine was stunning, and even Eggsy had to admire her from afar. 

It was a shame she was a criminal. She had been gifted looks and wealth — the jackpot in life — and that still hadn’t been enough for her. If it weren’t for that glaring flaw, she might have been a good match for Harry, at least on paper anyway. They could travel to Prague and discuss the city’s architecture for hours over a cuppa. Not like Eggsy, who couldn’t tell the difference between a Monet and a Renoir. Their foreplay was probably a mild debate about society’s historical shift towards conservatism. 

Eggsy pressed his lips together, giving a tight smile when a man took a flute of champagne from his tray and walked away like Eggsy was just part of the decor, a stand holding refreshments. He thought about Roxy and wondered if Harry also felt a similar pull toward Margravine. He watched with growing discomfort as the two of them entertained a crowd of businessmen. Through their linked glasses feed, Eggsy listened to a ridiculously lame story that only upper-class people could find amusing and fought the urge to roll his eyes. Harry glanced at Margravine several times, smiling as she spoke. He seemed smitten by her, just like all the other men she waltzed by. It was hard not to notice someone so attractive, intelligent, and wealthy, but Harry was immune to her wiles. Wasn’t he? 

Eggsy looked away and re-balanced the drinks on his tray so it wasn’t too heavy on the left. “Drink, sir?” He offered to a gentleman enrapt with a piece of art on display. It was an odd painting with random splotches of oil paints on a dark canvas. He couldn’t believe these people and the cash they had to burn. So far, the crowd was a dud. They were genuinely interested in the art and, if not art, they were busy bragging about their successful business deals or crazy expensive weekend getaways to private islands in the Maldives. No one was dumb enough to talk about purchasing a kilo of coke, but Margravine had to have some avenue to make her sales

“You there.” 

Eggsy’s head snapped toward the direction of a husky female voice, alluring in its timber. He saw Margravine approach with Harry (or Henry at the moment) at her side. As beautiful as Margravine was, she didn’t hold a candle to Harry, but maybe Eggsy was a tad biased. Harry wore one of Eggsy’s favorite outfits: his velvet navy tuxedo jacket and tartan pants, probably chosen to complement Margravine’s dress, ugh matching couples. Like all of Harry’s bespoke suits, the outfit was cut to accentuate his distinct form, pinched at the waist to emphasize his broad shoulders with an ideal taper along the length of his body to show off his mile long legs. Back home, Eggsy had a similar tux, brightly colored to match his offensive tastes, but he had to admit that he didn’t look nearly as good as Harry did in his.

Harry stared at him with a bland expression, like Eggsy blended in with the crowd and Harry saw straight through him. The deliberate lack of recognition was jarring.

“Me?” Eggsy looked back at the hostess who wore a frown on her face. 

“Yes, you,” Margravine said with an exasperated sigh. “Make sure everyone gets a taste of the _Le Mesnil_ champagne.” She took two glasses from his tray and handed one of them to Harry. “Henry, have a sip. I had the bottles sent directly from France overnight. It was the only one I liked paired with the caviar and the vintage was completely sold out here.” 

“Never knew you could make that much money from art,” Eggsy commented as he took a look at the large teardrop sapphire that hung from Margravine’s neck. It was nestled in a halo of pave set diamonds and glittered at every angle. It must have cost a fortune. “How do you convince people to pay the markup price for all these paintings?” Imported French champagne? High-grade caviar? Most artists were paupers and she couldn’t have been making that much commission from her sales. Her bread and butter came from the right people who bought her drugs under the guise of paying thousands for a work of art and she was careless with her display of wealth.

Margravine’s mouth pinched tight and thin as she made a sour face. It showed off the fine wrinkles around her mouth. “I’m not paying you to ask questions,” she snapped at him. Then, she tilted her head to scrutinize him. “What's your name? Where's John?” 

Eggsy tensed. Margravine was quite the micromanager, getting involved in things like picking the wine and the appetizers and selecting the people to staff this event; Just like how she had picked all the pieces on display that night. She might have been a pretty face and maybe a golddigger, but Margravine was also sharp and observant, at least when it came to maintaining appearances and making a good impression. It was how she had managed to establish several galleries in the art community and made some friends in high places.

“I'm George. John called in sick,” Eggsy explained. “He wasn’t feeling right. Hung over after partying too hard last night.” The poor guy would definitely wake up feeling hung over when the sedatives from Eggsy’s dart wore off. 

Margravine opened her mouth to give a piece of her mind but Harry interrupted her. “Leave him be, darling.” Harry gave them a bored look like he was dealing with spoiled children. “He’s just trying to earn some money tonight.” 

Margravine huffed. “You’re right,” she relented but gave Eggsy a nasty look like a Disney villain finally showing her true form. “You're supposed to be part of the background. Know your role. Keep using that mouth of yours and you’ll never move from the housing estates.” Nerve struck, Eggsy glanced at Harry to come to his defense, but Harry stared back at him from the end of his nose as if Eggsy wasn’t even worth sticking to the bottom of his shoe. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. “Tell Jeremy to bring out the caviar. I don’t see it out yet and it’s supposed to go with the champagne.” With a flick of her glossy, chocolate brown hair, she linked arms with Harry and led him back into the crowd, reverting back to her charming self in front of people she deemed worthy of her attention. 

Eggsy watched their retreating backs and resisted the urge to flip her two fingers. He didn't know her personally but had met plenty of people just like her in the past. Thanks to Dean’s “business”, he hadn’t lived in poverty and had been able to afford a lot of nice things like video games, shoes, and even some, um, recreational supplements of the herbal variety… Most of the tenants in those low-income housing estates were good people who didn’t have much say in the jobs they could find or the places they could afford, so fuck Margravine and all the other people like her with their snobby attitudes and pretentious opinions. With a sigh, Eggsy heaved the heavy tray over his shoulder and wandered around the room to see if anyone else looked thirsty.

30 minutes later, Eggsy had seen almost every face in the room but none looked suspicious. Most were well-known businessmen and patrons to the community, thus the invitation to the charity gala. He saw a few B and C-list actors and served a few lesser known government workers. No one screamed “drug dealer”. Eggsy picked out Harry from the crowd once in a while. It wasn’t hard to spot Harry amongst the throng of people when he was a head taller than many of the guests and also one of the most sharply dressed people in the room. Even Margravine, whose plunging neckline drew many furtive glances, probably didn’t get as many looks as Harry did in his dapper tux. 

They looked like quite a couple, all matching outfits and loving smiles. To any other person, it might have looked like Harry was besotted with her, like he couldn’t take his eyes off her and he was the luckiest guy on the planet. Margravine glowed under his attention, drinking it up with rosy flush cheeks and sparkling hazel eyes. Eggsy caught them sharing private moments, like when Harry’s hand trailed along the small of her back. He saw their hands touch, playing with their fingertips and sharing secret smiles when they thought no one was looking. He saw them whispering to each other occasionally and watched as Margravine threw her head back to give a throaty, sexy laugh, showing off a pair of tits that seemed to defy gravity for her age. They looked so in love that one might expect Harry to drop on a knee and propose to her at any minute. Eggsy couldn’t tell how much of it was an act when all of it seemed so real. It was Harry’s job to make it look convincing, but, Jesus, it made Eggsy uncomfortable.

Eggsy frowned. Harry played his role perfectly, but something about the two them doting on each other as they networked with the guests like some kind of power couple, made Eggsy feel uneasy. As he cleared off empty glasses from tables and went to fill his tray with new drinks, Eggsy recalled his conversation with Roxy and how she had gotten so deep into her role she’d forgotten what was real and what wasn’t anymore. He knew Harry had years of experience compared to Roxy and would never make that mistake, but a small part of Eggsy wondered if perhaps Harry’s performance was so persuasive because some of it _was_ real. 

And that was the crux of it, wasn’t it? That little thing that seemed to bother Eggsy all evening, like an annoying pea under many layers of mattresses. Eggsy’s frown deepened as he worked the room. A dark, cold, spiteful feeling blossomed within him, leaving a bitter taste on the back of his tongue. 

Harry startled him when he sidled up and plucked a drink from Eggsy’s tray.

“How many of these have you had, Henry?” 

“It’s only my third.” Harry gave him an innocent look over the rim of his wine glass. “It's good and the caviar is quite rich and goes well with it. I do have to give Margravine credit where it’s due. She has exceptional taste.”

Eggsy’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, she’s great except when it comes to manners. Can you fucking believe her? Treating the help like the scum of the earth.” 

“Your mouth is going to get you into trouble,” Harry warned, reminding Eggsy of his little sass earlier. 

“Yeah, well my mouth'll figure out a way to get me out of trouble.” In a pinch, Eggsy wasn’t bad at bullshitting his way out of sticky situations even if it conflicted with his hot temper. Eggsy saw Harry’s eyes dart to said mouth for a split second before raising his gaze again. Something fluttered in Eggsy’s chest, a completely inappropriate reaction for such a furtive glance. “Sorry. Guess I’m still learning the art of keeping my thoughts to myself. Anyway, should you be seen talking to me? I don’t think Margravine’s keen about her guests mingling with the help. We’re too beneath her station. For a second, I thought I was in an episode of _Upstairs, Downstairs_.”

That made Harry crack and smile, but he quickly smoothed his expression back to something stoic. “Henry’s a philanthropist and treats everyone equally.” Harry took another sip from his drink and glanced around the room. 

“I got nothing on the crowd,” Eggsy reported quietly. “Just a bunch of stingy wankers who can’t be bothered to give me a tip when they’re willing to spend thousands on a painting.” 

“I might have a tip for you.”

“Just the tip?” Eggsy joked. The corner of Harry’s mouth twitched as he tried not to smile again. Trust Harry to enjoy a good dick joke once in a while. “All right. Fine. What do you got?”

“Do you see the man talking to Margravine right now?” Eggsy took a quick look, following Harry’s gaze to see Margravine speaking to a grim-looking, 40-something-year-old man. Big and maybe an inch taller than Eggsy. His bald head reflected against the spotlights in the gallery and he wore an outfit more suited for a casual dinner party than a gala. His blazer and rollneck sweater were shades of black and grey and were a stark contrast to all the bow ties and tuxes. 

“Mhmm.” 

“I’ve seen him before at another one of Margravine’s functions,” Harry spoke just loud enough for Eggsy to hear and nursed his wine, making it appear as though they were having a casual conversation. “I didn’t think much of it then. He seemed like every other one of her acquaintance.” High brow arseholes? “But I find it rather odd that she made a beeline to him tonight as soon as he showed up a few minutes ago. Past being fashionably late, mind you. I never got a chance to talk to him alone to scope him out.”

“Not with Margravine wrapped around you all the time like an octopus.” Harry’s nose wrinkled at the mental image and he nodded. “Leave it to me. You just keep her distracted so I can have a tête-à-tête with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”

Harry frowned and gave the man a second look. “You think he’s handsome?”

“It’s just a saying, Mr. Devere.” Eggsy winked and shuffled away to serve the other patrons. He bided his time until Harry managed to usher Margravine away to get introductions to some local businessmen. Harry shot Eggsy a brief look, and that was Eggsy's opening. 

“Merlin.” Eggsy mumbled as he squeezed by a throng of pudgy politicians with rosy cheeks and balding crowns of salt and pepper hair. 

Merlin, who had been watching and waiting to assist, responded immediately through his glasses. “I’m here.”

“Need facial recognition.”

“Give me a minute,” Merlin obliged. Eggsy waited, keeping his gaze on the stranger as long as he could without looking like a creep. “David Haslam. He’s on the US DEA watch list. Suspected of being a major partner in a massive drug operation in Gilroy, California, but they don’t have enough evidence to get a warrant to investigate him and they have no jurisdiction internationally.” There was a small pause. “Luckily, we don’t operate under their rules and regulations.” They didn’t need a bloody warrant to bust someone because Kingsman technically didn’t exist. 

“Big fan of art?” Eggsy asked when he approached David and found the man texting away on his phone, not like the other guests who were gaping over modern art and questioning the meaning of life. 

“Something like that,” David replied absently, absorbed with whatever conversation he was having on his phone.

“Champagne?”

“No,” was the brusque brush-off. David had not come to mingle and network like the rest of the patrons at the gala, which made it difficult for Eggsy to get him to open up. Nonetheless, he persisted and used something that would definitely pique David's attention.

Eggsy cleared his throat, “Margravine asked to meet you in her office.” 

“Did she?” Finally, a reaction. Looking up from his phone, David cocked his head and regarded Eggsy warily. "What about?"

“Erm, not sure," Eggsy replied and rubbed his nose nervously. He shifted his weight from one foot to another and frowned like he was confused because he was only a messenger. "She said you’d know, but I'm guessing it's about some piece you wanna buy. Ain't that why everyone else is here? Just meet her in the office in 10.” David frowned but nodded anyway. He grabbed a flute from Eggsy’s tray and returned to his text messages. If David was suspicious, he would have asked more questions, but why would he? They were at a private gala, Margravine's hunting grounds where she'd only invited people she knew and trusted. Maybe she didn't want to be seen talking in public with David for too long and maybe she needed to talk in private about "business". 

Still, Eggsy was relieved when he saw David leave the gallery and head toward the rooms in the back of the building at the agreed upon time. He handed his tray off to another waiter, glad to be rid of the bloody thing. “Gotta take a break!” He excused himself.

When Eggsy slipped into the office, David turned toward him with a confused look. “Where’s Margravine?” 

“Oh,” Eggsy shrugged indifferently. "She's running late."

“I see.” David shifted his weight and gave a tight smile when he quickly put two and two together. “I should have known. I always thought she was too sloppy. How long have you been spying on us?”

“Long enough.”

“And I suppose this is where you’re going to threaten to kill me if I don’t tell you everything I know.”

“Way to steal my thunder,” Eggsy said. “I wasn’t gonna be that over dramatic, but if you’re not in the mood to play nice, I don’t need you to be alive to get the information I need.” He nodded toward the phone in David’s hand. “I bet you got everything right there, yeah? All your contacts. Your chat logs. Even your starred locations.” David had been so glued to the phone it was practically an extra appendage. There had to be a plethora of information in that tiny thing.

David laughed more out of disbelief than anything. “You don’t fuck around, do you, kid?” Not one to delay the inevitable, he reached into his jacket and Eggsy reacted instinctively. He leapt forward to tackle David to the ground as the man struggled to pull his gun from the confines of his inner pocket. Eggsy was lucky that David was more a businessman than a brawny thug used to brawling and handling guns. They landed on the floor with a loud “oomph” and the gun slipped from David’s fingers upon impact with the hardwood floor.

“Did you hear something?” A woman’s voice. Eggsy struggled to multitask as he heard Margravine through his audio link to Harry’s glasses. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floors outside the office.

“Hard to hear anything over the live jazz band you have playing in the foyer,” Harry responded. 

“The office is occupied,” Merlin warned the both of them, letting Eggsy know he was running out of time and Harry needed to stall for more.

On the ground, Eggsy wrestled with David, struggling to hold the man down even as David fought him, pushing him away with one hand while reaching for the gun with his other hand. 

“Where are we going? Shouldn’t we be out there entertaining your guests?” Harry asked.

“I just wanted to take a little break,” Margravine said. “A little privacy for the two of us.”

Bloody perfect. Eggsy grappled with David and repressed a pained groan as when he got a sharp elbow to the cheek and a knee to his side. They both used their weight, David trying to buck Eggsy off and make a leap for the gun, while Eggsy tried his best to wrangle the man in. He got David in a choke hold, legs locking around David’s to keep the man from flailing. And yet, David persisted, outstretching his left hand toward the gun, one inch by slow inch until it was almost within reach.

“We could have done this the easy way,” Eggsy reminded in a hiss.

“F-fuck you,” David spat out as he gasped for air in Eggsy’s choke hold. His finger almost grazed the metal barrel of the gun. With one more wiggle, the gun would be in David’s reach and it would be game over. It was too late for them to get out of this scot-free. Eggsy made a mental note to ask Merlin to design a watch that _didn't_ look like it cost an entire year's paycheck. He'd forgone the watch and its convenient amnesia darts because it clashed with his disguise, but it would have saved so much time and effort right then. Eggsy grabbed David’s chin and gave a sharp twist. There was a sickening crack as David's neck snapped and his body went limp in Eggsy's arms. Eggsy breathed hard through his nose, trying to keep his noise to a minimum.

“A little privacy,” Harry repeated in a dry tone. “I feel like a truant teen sneaking out of class for a quick snog.”

“Henry!” Margravine laughed. “Can you blame me? I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Eggsy frowned as he picked up David’s gun and looked around the room for another exit. Unfortunately, they were on the second story and there was nowhere to stash a dead body. He’d have to go out the same way he came in. 

“I’m trapped in here.” Eggsy whispered to his team.

“I am sorry about that, darling,” Harry said, unfazed by the action in the background. “I’ve been traveling for work. You know that.”

“I know. It’s just that — you know the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve really missed you, Henry.”

“Margravine. You're always so sweet to me.”

“...What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t play stupid. Did you miss _me_?”

“Of course I missed you.” Harry's tone was warm and affectionate as he entertained his lover's desperate need for attention. 

“Prove it then.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, Henry,” Margravine said, exasperated by how obliviously dense Harry was behaving. She probably wasn’t used to working so hard for some affection, but then again women like her tended to be drawn to the ‘hard to get’ types. It was the lure of the challenge. “I want you to show me how much you missed me.”

There was a soft sigh as Harry relented. “Very well.”

Eggsy frowned and readjusted the weight of David’s limp body in his arms. Harry’s glasses picked up muted sounds and it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Eggsy heard slight rustling, a small sigh, and the undeniable sound of two people kissing.

“Er, the coast is clear,” Merlin spoke. “Keep to the right as soon as you leave the room. There’s an emergency exit around the corner. And if I were you… I’d avoid the left.”

Inexplicably, Eggsy felt his stomach plummet, like he was at the top of a roller coaster about to take one of its many dives. He did as instructed, opening the door and sighing in relief when it didn’t squeak on its hinges. He heaved David up over his shoulders in a fireman’s lift. As Merlin had promised, the right corridor was empty but his left… Of course, Eggsy peeked to the left as soon as he left the room. He saw exactly what he’d expected, but his gut reaction came as a complete surprise.

Eggsy froze when he saw Margravine and Harry just a scant few feet away. Margravine stood with her back to Eggsy, arms wrapped around Harry’s shoulders to pull them close enough that her breasts pressed firmly against his broad chest. Harry cupped her heart-shaped face, long fingers burying themselves in her thick, luxurious hair. He kissed Margravine with enough fervor she was most likely close to swooning. Eggsy knew because Harry had the same effect on him. His kisses made Eggsy forget about _everything_ except for the delicious sensation of Harry’s mouth against his. He enjoyed kissing Harry so much that he'd be perfectly content if they made out all night instead of fuck (though he assumed Harry would be pretty good at that too).

Watching them together felt like watching the sun rise from the west. Everything about it was wrong; from the soft moans escaping Margravine’s lips to Eggsy’s distraught reaction. His shoulders tensed and his gut squeezed so tight that it made him feel ill. His fingers went cold as he clutched at David’s limp body. “ _Move!_ ” His mind shouted, but his feet felt like lead, heavy enough to sink him to the bottom of the Thames. Eggsy stayed frozen, unable to look away.

Eggsy had seen them together on Merlin's screen, and Harry had mentioned her name numerous times, but it was different in person. 

Different because he couldn't just reach over to wipe the lipstick from Harry's lips and laugh about it like Harry had been sloppy and forgotten to use a napkin after dinner. Margravine was right there. Taunting. Since Paris, Eggsy had kept himself a safe distance from Harry to prevent himself from getting singed and falling down the hole of confusion and regret again. He'd kept Harry at arm's length because it was the right thing to do. Because Harry meant more to Eggsy than just a fuck. It wasn't fair that Margravine could demand kisses from Harry and drag Harry around from one event to another as her eye candy without any repercussions. She was free to flirt with him, to kiss him, and openly display her affection for him and Harry returned every look and smile with one of his own. Even though Eggsy knew it was an act (or so he hoped), he couldn't help but feel a strong wave of jealousy crash over him.

No. Jealousy was the fear of losing something he had, and Harry wasn't his to lose. What Eggsy felt was envy. It was one of the seven deadly sins, chock full of bitterness, pettiness, resentment, and longing. It made Eggsy feel small and inferior, pathetic and full of spite.

Eggsy had never considered himself a possessive, jealous, or envious person, but seeing Harry intimate with another person made him want to bare his teeth and snarl. He wanted to pull Margravine away by a fistful of hair, like an episode of _Geordie Shore_ , because she ought to be behind bars, not savoring the taste of Harry’s mouth and getting titillated by every flick of his tongue. Eggsy felt like the ground had been swept out from under him and he’d fallen so hard on his arse that the air punched out of his lungs. He must have stood there gaping like an idiot for only a second, but it felt like time stood still or oozed slowly like thick molasses. His chest felt like it had been lanced, twinging with each tight breath. 

Harry tilted his head to the side, getting more access to Margravine’s mouth, but also allowing him to peek over her shoulder to assess the situation. When their eyes met, Eggsy started and his breath caught mid-inhale. He saw Harry frown before Harry’s lowered his lashes again, fluttering shut. 

Something like an electric shock bolted through Eggsy, snapping him out of his stupor. He tightened his grip on David. Right. He had a job to do. Taking a deep breath, Eggsy shifted the dead man’s weight to even it out and forced himself to move until he rounded the corner, out of view. The emergency exit was only a few feet away and he quietly made his escape.

In his ear, he heard Margravine sigh heavily. Then there was a sound of a few more wet kisses, clear enough for Eggsy’s chest to ache with each beat. Margravine chuckled, a low sultry sound that only experienced women had. “Would you like to slip into my office and see how long it takes before people realize we’re missing?”

Enough was enough. “I’m good for now, Merlin. I’m signing off.” Merlin started to say something, but Eggsy snatched his glasses off and tucked them into a pocket, thankful for the blissful silence that ensued. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's hard to kill someone by breaking their necks, but let's pretend like it's in the movies, okie? :)


	5. Chapter 5

Eggsy dumped David’s body into the boot of his stolen car and slammed the lid down none too gently. A part of him was pissed that Harry had the easy job, cavorting about and getting his rocks off while Eggsy had to do all the dirty work. Then there was that other part him that was upset for an entirely different reason. It shouldn’t have mattered to him. It should have made no difference what Harry did with other people, but Eggsy couldn’t help but wonder and feel a little pained by his wild imagination. This wasn’t good. He shouldn’t be thinking these things. After Paris, Eggsy had told himself not to go down this road because it led to twisty, dangerous turns and dead ends. 

“Fuck,” Eggsy muttered. “I’m a bloody idiot.” Eggsy was horrified by his visceral reaction. He couldn’t understand the ugly emotions that had spiked through him when he saw Harry with Margravine. He never meant to develop certain kinds feelings for Harry and he was such a fool for letting it happen. 

Eggsy’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, leather creaking under his white-knuckled fingers. "Certain kinds of feelings". Eggsy didn’t even know where to start with that.

It took Eggsy a couple of hours to find a place to dispose of David’s body. By the time Eggsy got rid of the car, his mind had run through a gamut of scenarios, all kinds of things Margravine could have done to Harry in her office. Had Harry gone back to Margravine’s hotel room or had she gone back to his? After a long moment of hesitation, Eggsy decided to be masochistic and put his glasses back on because he'd be up all night thinking about the unknown otherwise. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) their link had been disconnected. Flipping through the menus, he read a message from Merlin: “Harry home free. Need access to David’s phone.” A short reminder. 

Eggsy frowned. Home free? What did that mean? Objectively, Eggsy understood that Harry had finished his end of the job and made it home safe. But why? It wasn't even midnight yet. Shouldn't Harry be spending the rest of the night entertaining his clingy lover? Margravine had been wet for him all evening and they had a lot of catching up to do. The thought made his stomach roll like a wave of indigestion. 

Eggsy really, _really_ shouldn’t have given a rat’s arse about it. He should have gone back to his own hotel room after disposing of the stolen car and gone to bed. Instead, Eggsy found himself in front of Harry’s hotel, a lavish, 5-star place that probably cost a week’s salary for a one-night stay. Seeing only tunnel vision, Eggsy let his feet take him through the grand foyer, toward the elevator, and he pressed the button to Harry’s floor. His heart raced when he rapped his knuckles against Harry’s door. He didn’t understand why he was feeling jittery, fighting the urge to run and hide. It wasn’t like anything had changed between them. He’d seen Harry just that morning to prep for the party and yet here he was, waiting outside Harry’s room feeling like a bundle of nerves. 

Harry answered the door a short moment later looking as handsome as the devil. He’d taken his velvet smoking jacket was off, and his bowtie hung loosely around his neck. The first two buttons of Harry’s shirt were undone, revealing a scandalous amount of collarbone that Eggsy stared at for longer than was considered polite. The man looked delectable half dressed.

In response to Harry’s look of surprise, Eggsy forced out a nervous smile and prompted, “Merlin mentioned you'd be here.” He glanced over Harry’s shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Harry was alone.

Harry discreetly checked both sides of the hallway before taking a step back and holding the door open for Eggsy to enter. “I was just having a night cap before my ablutions,” Harry said, shutting the door after them and leading Eggsy deeper into the suite. As expected, Harry’s lodgings were lavish with an airy sitting room and a fantastic view of the skyline past the sheer layered curtains. The suite had a fresh and modern theme, furnished with mid-century styled sofas and end tables. There was even an electric fireplace in the sitting room that radiated heat and warmed the room with fake flames. “Fancy yourself a drink? The inventory is top shelf.” Harry was already making his way toward the small wet bar on the side of the sitting room where he'd abandoned his drink to answer the door.

Eggsy licked his lips and felt parched. “Yeah, thanks.” Liquid courage. He watched as Harry poured a healthy splash of scotch into a spare tumbler before handing it to Eggsy. “They gave you a better suite,” Eggsy mused as he took the offered drink and sipped it tentatively. Harry was right about it being top shelf. Eggsy wasn’t a connoisseur by any means, but Harry had given him a few lessons on how to enjoy various types of liquor for all sorts of occasions. This scotch was neat and clean with a little smoke and spice flavor in its aftertaste. 

“You got the junior suite then?” 

Eggsy scoffed. “I wouldn’t even call my room a suite.” He should count his lucky stars that the coverlet didn’t have any questionable stains.

Harry smiled. “I suppose it’s one of the perks of being head of the organization. I’m supposed to be a multi-millionaire anyway. I wouldn’t be caught dead in a Travelodge. You’re more than welcome to spend the night if you find your own accommodations inadequate,” Harry offered and Eggsy’s grip tightened around his tumbler. “The bed is big enough for the two of us,” Harry said it nonchalantly as if he’d offered a spare room rather his own goddamn bed. 

“I’m surprised you don’t already have a guest keeping you company tonight,” Eggsy heard himself say. 

Harry looked at him with a tilt of his head. “Who would I have over?”

Eggsy wasn’t sure if Harry was playing dumb, but he shrugged, doing his best to look and feel cool about it all. “You know who. You two looked awfully cozy at the gala.”

“Maragavine had a little too much to drink tonight,” Harry explained. There was a hint in his voice that suggested perhaps it wasn’t just booze that had knocked her out. “And even if she hadn’t, I would have just excused myself from staying the night. There's no need to be jealous.”

Eggsy nearly keeled over. Harry’s expression was mostly neutral. The barest hint of a smile played on his lips in a way that made it hard to tell if Harry had made a joke or a keen observation. Eggsy downed the rest of his drink before the glass could shatter in his tight grip. Despite it being top shelf, it still burned down his throat when he wasted it in a gulp. Eggsy grimaced. “What about her office then?” He pried. “Sounded like she was pretty eager for a quickie.” Ignorance was supposed to be bliss, but the words came out before he thought better of asking.

“Oh, that.” Harry sighed. “I told her it would be much more fulfilling if we waited to get back to her room. An agent doesn't always have to sleep with his target, you know. Not if there are better ways to get what he needs. You’d be surprised how easily people listen to you when they’re in love with you.”

Eggsy thought he tasted bile in the back of his throat. In love with Harry. Right. Harry’s words made it clear that he had no qualms about manipulating people’s emotions and using it against them. It wasn’t something Eggsy wanted to discover first hand, even if Harry would never intentionally hurt him. “And what about you? You in love with her too?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Eggsy shrugged with one shoulder, casual like he was just making idle chat. “I dunno. Just seemed like you was pretty smitten with her is all.” 

Harry's expression slowly changed from wary to amused as if he'd read Eggsy’s mind and Eggsy was mortified. “You think I would fall in love with someone like her?”

“She’s well fit,” Eggsy had to admit. “She’s got class and she’s rich.”

“She’s a criminal.”

“Didn’t stop Lancelot, did it?”

“Ah, so she finally told you,” Harry said, realization dawning on him. Eggsy nodded curtly. “Lancelot will be wiser next time. It’s a common mistake new agents make. God help me if I ever fall in love with someone like Margravine. She isn’t even my type.” 

_What is your type even?_ Eggsy wondered, but he smartly kept his mouth shut this time. He envied Harry’s ability to build walls around his heart. Eggsy had always been too soft, even for JB, that slobbering, flatulent, lazy as fuck excuse of a dog.

“It doesn't matter,” Harry continued. “Margravine won't remember much of the night. She'll probably wake up thinking she had too much of her imported champagne. I'll talk to her in the morning to let her know I couldn't stay the night because I had an early flight to catch. She’ll understand.” Because she loved Harry and people were willing to believe in stupid things when they were in love.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Eggsy fought against his growing discomfort and tried to veer their conversation toward something safe. He fished out David’s phone from his pocket and held it out. “Maybe she’ll wake up in a cell if we find something good on this.”

Harry made a thoughtful sound as he took the phone and turned it over in his hand. “I can root the phone and have the tech department scan it overnight to see if we can find any information about Margravine’s partners. If David’s a critical player, this might be all we need to identify the key members and finally disband the entire ring from the top down.” He looked up at Eggsy and frowned unexpectedly. “You shouldn’t have gone dark afterward. When we’re working together, you don’t cut the connection until the job is finished.”

“It was finished,” Eggsy pointed out, feeling knots beginning to tangle in his stomach because he hated whenever Harry chastised him. He hated disappointing Harry. “You saw me dragging David out. Besides, I thought you’d appreciate a little privacy if you catch my drift.” Eggsy words sounded more bitter than he intended and Harry raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I saw you,” Harry agreed. “I heard your scuffle in the office too. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Eggsy cocked his head in confusion. He’d been steeling himself to get his ass chewed out. “I’m fine. I’m the one that’s still standing and breathing, ain’t I?”

“Yes,” Harry hesitated for a brief second before reaching over with his free hand to run the back of his knuckles gingerly against Eggsy’s right cheek. “You were hurt though.”

“I’m not bleeding.” Eggsy had been running on adrenaline, too distracted to remember getting elbowed under his eye and nearly breaking his nose during the scuffle. But now that Harry mentioned it, it did feel tender to the slightest touch and it would probably look awful come morning.

“You should ice your face. It’ll keep the bruising and swelling to a minimum.”

Harry trailed the back of his index finger along Eggsy’s left cheek, and Eggsy felt his pulse kick up a notch because Harry was looking at him with a tenderness that sent him reeling in confusion. Harry was close, perhaps a little too close to be respectful of Eggsy’s personal space. When Harry cupped his face in a warm hand, Eggsy’s heart felt like it was doing flips and skipping beats. He licked his lips in hesitation and watched as Harry’s eyes followed the small darting of his tongue before meeting Eggsy’s gaze again. He imagined that the toffee-brown of Harry’s eyes had grown a shade darker from the slight dilation of his pupils.

There it was again: the magnetic force Eggsy felt in Plymouth and Paris, drawing him to Harry like prey trapped in a well-spun web. Harry’s touch left a trail of warmth and Eggsy tilted his head to seek more. Rough calluses caused gentle friction against his jawline. Eggsy suddenly found it difficult swallow.

Didn’t Harry know that he was playing with fire? Eggsy’s feelings were already a fucked up jumble, but to have Harry genuinely care about him was too much. Eggsy couldn’t tell if Harry was just being a good friend or if there was something deeper underlying Harry’s concern. Shit. Eggsy stared at Harry in stunned silence. Why? Why did Harry have to say that kind of shit in that kind of tone? A tone that made Harry so goddamn sweet, like he really cared about Eggsy’s well-being.

But of course he would, because Harry was a good _friend_ , Eggsy reminded himself. A friend that Eggsy wanted to grab by the front of his shirt and pull in for a hard kiss. A friend that Eggsy wanted to push onto the bed and ravage because Harry looked so fucking good all night in that bloody velvet tux. 

Eggsy tried to quell the odd sense of hope that kept bubbling up. This was Harry they were talking about. Harry whose walls were built of ice and had been impenetrable for 50-something years. Harry who manipulated people’s feelings for him without qualms. Harry who could kill hundreds of people without a shred of regret and yet frowned in concern over a little bruising on Eggsy’s cheek. Using all his willpower, Eggsy let out a shaky and took a step back, out of Harry’s reach.

“Do you have ice?” Eggsy asked, his voice coming out a little raspier than usual. 

“Ice?” Harry repeated. He seemed to snap out of his own thoughts as his hand fell to his side.

“For my face,” Eggsy clarified. 

Harry cleared his throat. “Check the kitchenette. There should be some in the fridge. I’ll go set up the phone and notify our techs.”

With Harry gone, the temperature in the room seemed to cool down, and the physical space between them gave Eggsy a much-needed reprieve, allowing him to take long breaths through his nose to calm his nerves. Calm the fuck down. Eggsy didn’t understand what had gotten into him. Gone was the platonic whatever-ness of their friendship. He couldn’t look at Harry without dragging his gaze to Harry’s mouth. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning closer when Harry was within reach. There was an attraction to Harry that had never been there before and it was getting harder and harder to play it off.

Taking a deep breath, he looked through the fridge and found an ice tray in the freezer section. Perfect. Eggsy had to pass through the bedroom to get to the en suite bathroom. He did his best not to let his gaze linger on the large bed that had crisp, clean linens with some thousand thread count sheets and a mattress that probably felt like sleeping on a cloud. Eggsy was absolutely not thinking of wrecking the well-made bed by having a nice tumble on it with Harry. 

The bedroom looked even bigger than the sitting room with a corner furnished with a leather couch, walnut brown desk, and office chair. Harry was sitting at the desk with David’s phone connected to his laptop as he ran software cooked by the tech department to jailbreak the phone with utmost ease. Before Harry could glance in Eggsy’s direction, Eggsy made his way to the bathroom which gleamed white when he flicked the lights on. Clean towels were stacked in a basket between a large soaking tub and a huge shower that could fit a whole party of people within its tall, spotless, glass walls. It was probably bigger than some homes. Damn, being the head of the agency really did have its perks. 

After closing the door behind himself, Eggsy grabbed a face towel for his ice pack and looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He combed his fingers through his dark locks to fix his hair and loosened his cheap waiter’s tie. The right side of his face was ruddy where David had struck him, and it was beginning to swell. He saw familiar sea-green eyes and thin pink lips. The same scar on his eyebrow, sharp jawline, and cheekbones that people seemed to like. Yeah, Eggsy had dark smudges under his eyes, but he wasn’t ugly by any means and he had no problem getting attention from someone he wanted. Why the fuck did it have to be Harry Hart though?

Eggsy gripped the edge of the sink counter and took a deep breath. “Stop fucking about,” he told himself in a harsh whisper. Eggsy lingered in the bathroom, trying to pull himself together despite his rapidly sinking heart. There was something wrong with him. His stupid brain couldn’t stop thinking about Harry. He couldn’t even stand next to Harry without thinking about snogging the man until their mouths hurt. Eggsy bit his lower lip and avoided looking at his reflection again because he was too ashamed of his thoughts and where they were leading him. 

He saw Harry’s toiletry bag on the countertop and frowned when he noticed a pack of condoms and a bottle of lube in the open bag. Not exactly standard items in a Kingsman kit. It made Eggsy seethe suddenly. He couldn't blame Harry for planning ahead in case things didn't go according to plan, but the foil packets taunted Eggsy in its implied vulgarity. If push came to shove, Harry would have taken Margravine to bed for a thorough fuck, leaving her warm and aching and thinking of him for days afterward, missing him and craving him until the next time she saw him again.

Eggsy frowned at the objects like they had personally offended him. A very, very bad idea flitted through his mind… He’d be a fool not to take advantage of this opportunity. Harry was just outside the bathroom, probably finished fiddling with the phone by now. It’d be a waste for Harry to pack all this and not get to use them. Eggsy had to admit that his logic was flawed, but his mind had taken the idea and run with it. 

Maybe if he got it out of his system, Eggsy would stop wondering about the “what-ifs”. The grass was always greener on the other side and people liked to focus on the things they couldn’t have. Reality would remind him that sex was sex. Unique with each person, yes, but not something to put on a pedestal and romanticize. If he slept with Harry, maybe he’d whet his curiosity and move on. The sooner Eggsy got this out of his system, the sooner he could get over it and things could return to normal like nothing had ever happened. Eggsy had always been upfront with his partners, and sometimes they were the ones that insisted — It had always been clear to both parties that they were never ever going to be anything more than casual.

For Harry, well, Harry would either accept his advance or reject him. If Harry was down to fuck, he was a consenting adult who knew what he was getting into — No strings attached sex because Eggsy was maybe infatuated, but not in love with Harry, and he was certain that Harry didn’t have any of those kinds feelings either. If Harry wasn’t in the mood, then that was fine because Eggsy would feel rejected, but at least the line would be drawn and Eggsy would shrug it off eventually. 

By the time Eggsy gathered the nerve to come out of the bathroom, Harry was working on the cuffs of his shirt, calling it a night. Harry placed a rose-gold plated cufflink on a nightstand beside the massive bed. “Everything all right?” He asked as soon as Eggsy came into his peripheral vision. 

“Yeah, good.” Eggsy couldn’t help the tightness in his chest as he answered. 

Harry’s sharp brown eyes followed Eggsy’s movements as Eggsy approached him. When Eggsy was close enough, Harry took another careful look at his face. “You should take some ibuprofen too. You’ll feel better in the morning,” Harry suggested as he put away the second cufflink. He tugged off his bow tie and placed it beside the links. It was strangely erotic to watch Harry undress in such a methodical manner. 

Eggsy shrugged. “I could think of other ways to make me feel better.” 

That sounded way more brazen out loud than it had in his head. Eggsy drew something from his back pocket and tossed it on the bed. Harry’s eyes flicked to the lube before his gaze slid back to Eggsy. It was a bold and blatant proposal.

“You’ll wake up a lot more sore if that’s how you want to be taken care of,” Harry commented dryly. Harry seemed completely unfazed as he began working on the buttons of his shirt as if it were any other night and Eggsy wasn’t there staring as he undressed. 

“Maybe I like it a little rough,” Eggsy replied. For once, he saw Harry falter, fingers pausing for a sliver of a second. It was all Eggsy needed for confirmation. Feeling emboldened, Eggsy took a step closer and reached out to finish what Harry had started. He pushed Harry’s hands aside and worked from top to bottom. From his peripheral vision, he could tell Harry was watching him curiously, eyes on his face for a moment before they lowered to where Eggsy’s nimble fingers worked each button open. Eggsy could feel the warmth of Harry’s skin through the thin cotton shirt and he swallowed thickly as he made his way down. 

He felt a finger under his chin and tipped his face up. Harry's gaze was heated, simmering in the dark honey brown of his eyes. It made Eggsy’s breath catch and his mouth dry. When Harry leaned down, Eggsy met him halfway and pressed their mouths together. The kiss was slow and firm as they relearned the taste and feel of the other’s mouths. It had been months since their last kiss. For a moment, Eggsy was wholly focused on the softness of Harry’s mouth against his own. He relished in it, feeling like the world was made of only the two of them and nothing else mattered except the sweet, lingering taste of scotch on Harry’s tongue.

But within a minute, a sense of urgency rose, ablaze like a match set to kindling. It had been _months_ since their last kiss. Each graze of their lips sparked something hot and needy, adding fuel to the fire. Eggsy’s fingers moved again, hastily undoing the last button. He ran his palms up Harry’s smooth, warm skin, past a firm stomach and a decent pair of pecs, to push the edges of Harry’s shirt off his broad shoulders. Harry quickly shrugged it off before he reached up to cup Eggsy’s face in both hands. The kiss that had begun soft and tentative became rough and demanding. Harry’s tongue plundered Eggsy’s mouth as Eggsy fumbled blindly for Harry’s belt and the front of his trousers until he could shove the offending material down to pool at Harry’s feet. 

Eggsy panted in between hard kisses when Harry finally reached over to undress him. God, _yes_. They were really going to do this. Harry only made it one-third of the way before Eggsy pulled back with an impatient huff. Gripping the bottom of his cheap dress shirt, Eggsy tugged it over his head and threw it to the floor. Fuck buttons. They didn’t have time to deal with fucking buttons. He worked on his black trousers next, kicking them off so that he stood before Harry completely naked.

There was a swell of pride when Harry’s eyes roved down his form. Twice. Eggsy was young and fit and had nothing to be ashamed of. Harry wasn’t bad either. His skin was marred with a number of scars, and it stretched over toned muscles, flawed and beautiful at the same time. Harry worked hard to maintain his form at his age, jogging and swimming regularly, and it showed. Harry was bloody mouthwatering.

“Fuck,” Eggsy breathed out. "You're fucking perfect, Harry." Wrapping his arms around Harry’s shoulders, he pulled Harry in and kissed his way up Harry’s neck and chin toward his mouth. Eggsy kissed him hungrily, nipping, licking, and sucking on Harry’s lips and tongue for another taste. He shifted slightly so that his hardon could rub up against Harry’s when he rocked his hips forward, eliciting warm, tingly friction that made Harry groan into his mouth. He felt Harry’s hands on his arse, cupping it in his palms as if to test their weight and fullness, like fucking peaches. Eggsy had always been slightly bottom heavy, but he was more than a little amused by Harry’s fascination with his backside, squeezing hard and abusing the flesh. When he felt Harry spank his arse with the flat of his palm, Eggsy grunted and nipped at the bottom of Harry’s mouth before teasing him, “Easy on the goods, yeah?”

With a low growl, Harry pushed him back and Eggsy made a startled sound when he bounced onto the firm mattress. He barely had time to reorient himself when Harry pulled him toward the edge of the bed and knelt down, turning his head to suck on the inside of Eggsy’s thigh. Eggsy’s muscles quivered against Harry’s mouth as Harry made a wet trail up toward the junction of his legs, eliciting a ticklish but insanely arousing sensation up Eggsy’s spine. “Holy fuck…” was all Eggsy could say when he felt Harry’s hot mouth on his stiff cock, kissing it and licking it with broad wet strokes of his tongue, before sucking the entire length into his mouth. Eggsy’s head fell back onto the bed and his back arched when the tip of his dick hit the back of Harry’s throat. 

Somewhere in his pleasurable daze, Eggsy heard a cap snap open. He spread his legs wider for easy access and moaned when Harry slid a slick finger in, third knuckle deep. “Ah…” Eggsy panted, writhed, and made all kinds of embarrassing sounds as Harry worked his way to three fingers, spreading more and more lube inside until Eggsy felt dripping with it. Harry distracted Eggsy with his mouth, wet and warm around Eggsy’s cock. He knew how to do it right, tongue twirling against the tip, teeth teasing along the shaft with each movement. Eggsy was in heaven when Harry crooked his fingers and found a spot inside that made Eggsy’s thighs tremble and his cock twitch against the flat of Harry’s tongue. It was all so good that Eggsy didn’t know whether to thrust forward into Harry’s mouth or push back against the man’s long fingers. The feeling was too intense, too fucking pleasurable. 

“Jesus. Fuck, Harry,” he gasped, “you gotta stop. You’re gonna make me come too soon.” But Harry didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping as he continued to bob his mouth up and down. Eggsy’s body tensed and his hips bucked up to fuck Harry’s mouth. He made a weak sound and used what little willpower he had left to grab a fistful of Harry’s hair and pull the man off his cock before he came prematurely. Harry’s mouth let go with an obscene ‘pop’, and Harry stared up the length of Eggsy’s body with eyes that were nearly black with desire. His mouth was red and shiny with spit, and Eggsy imagined Harry's face would look quite fetching with stripes of come on it, but not tonight. “I need you to fuck me,” Eggsy panted, barely able to make intelligible sentences at this point. “Wanna come with you fucking me.” Eggsy twisted to roll over onto his stomach.

“Wait.” Eggsy paused at the sound of Harry’s voice, deep and hoarse. As he joined Eggsy on the bed, Harry poured a generous amount of lube onto his palm and smoothed the slippery fluid along his rigid cock in slow strokes, prepping for a hard fuck. “Stay on your back. I want to see you.” 

Something inside Eggsy tilted on its axis. It wasn’t like this was the first time Eggsy had done it missionary, but Harry’s request felt intimate. Romantic, even. Wordlessly, Eggsy lifted his hips to let Harry tuck a few pillows underneath, tipping him up for a better angle. Harry made a space for himself between Eggsy's spread thighs and braced himself over the younger man, propping himself with an elbow on the bed. He used his free hand to line himself and pushed gently, insistent against the initial resistance. Eggsy sucked in a sharp breath when the tip of Harry's cock finally slipped in and the rest was a long, exquisite stretch, inch by slow inch. 

Their gazes locked — coffee brown against sea green — and Eggsy felt something flicker on inside his chest, something extraordinary like Harry had reached into places Eggsy hadn’t even realized was empty and filled it up with a sugar sweet mixture of happiness and bliss. It was something Eggsy couldn’t ever recall feeling with anyone else. There was always something exhilarating about the initial thrust, the tingle and sting that set endorphins running wild in his system, but with Harry, it was just one overwhelming sensation after another. Almost too much and yet Eggsy wanted more. More of whatever was going on between the two of them. More of the electrifying and thrilling feeling that was more adrenaline inducing than a skydive 18,000 feet above the ground. 

By the time Harry was balls deep, Eggsy was panting and the sensation of Harry filling him so completely nearly sent him over the edge. He felt so full, almost on the brink of uncomfortably full. 

"Christ," Harry bit out, voice tight. He was doing the gentlemanly thing, waiting for Eggsy to get accustomed to the feel of a prick in his arse, but he trembled with restraint because Eggsy was so slick and hot around his cock. 

"God, yeah," Eggsy panted out. He ran a heel against the back of Harry's thigh, encouraging him. "Fuck me, Harry. C'mon. I can take it." 

Eggsy was so tight around Harry that he wondered how Harry could possibly move, but Harry was just right, the right girth and length that made Eggsy moan like a two-cent whore when the man finally started rocking his hips in careful movements. Eggsy ducked his head, getting a whiff of Harry's spiced cologne as he buried his face in between the man's neck and shoulder. But Harry wasn't having any of that. Eggsy gasped when Harry pulled his head back by a tight fistful of hair, forcing Eggsy to look at him. Fucking eye contact. Harry wore a dark expression, a searing, sexy look that was so intense it made Eggsy shiver. It forced Eggsy to acknowledge who he was with, not some faceless no-name flavor of the month.

“Harry,” Eggsy gasped. Acknowledgment. Eggsy dug his nails into the muscles in Harry’s back because he could give as good as he got and he loved the way Harry bit back a groan and shivered in pleasure. Harry’s eyes narrowed down at him with a spark of heat. "Harry. Fuck… _please_. Make me come.” Harry obliged and rolled his hips, allowing Eggsy to feel every fucking glorious inch as it brushed past his sweet spot. It was so good that it made Eggsy shudder and tighten his legs around Harry’s narrow hips, pulling him in again for more. Harry was a quick learner and attentive to Eggsy’s reactions, adjusting his pace and the angle until Eggsy’s brain went to mush and he could only slur out every curse word he knew as Harry fucked him hard and dirty. 

Eggsy glanced down at the mess he was making between them. His cock throbbed with every deep thrust and left a slick spot on his stomach from all the precome he’d been leaking, a little dribble each time Harry buried himself inside Eggsy’s tight little hole. He rendered Eggsy into a ball of nerves, synapses firing and fizzing every time he bottomed out. So good. It was so fucking good. He always knew it would be good with Harry, but the man blew all expectations out of the water. He shouldn't have been surprised.

Harry rested his forehead against Eggsy’s, warm breaths mingling, noses bumping, and lips grazing against each other every so often. With Harry’s fingers still tight against his scalp, Eggsy realized that Harry was right. This was something worth noting. He wanted to remember the feel of Harry kissing him, the smell of Harry’s cologne on his skin, the sexy sounds Harry made when Eggsy squeezed down on him. Keeping his gaze locked on Harry’s, Eggsy took in the sight of Harry at his prime, so fucking gorgeous and feral, a raw edge to his gaze like maybe Eggsy wasn’t going to be the only one who was going to be wrecked after this. 

They moved together, sweat-slicked skin sliding against skin, mouth panting against each other. He was lost to everything but Harry and this _thing_ that had developed between them. Like sparking energy fizzing between and all around them. It sent Eggsy on an upward spiral, up and up until he was too close to hold back any longer. Eggsy reached down to grip Harry’s firm arse, feeling it flex with each thrust. He guided Harry. Right there. Right there. _Right there._ Like the ringing of a slot machine that had just hit three cherries. 

Eggsy gave a sharp cry when his orgasm hit, explosive and intense, like a force of nature. He clenched down tight and muffled a hoarse shout against Harry’s skin as he came so hard that the first hot spurt of come nearly hit his collarbone. Harry took care of him, fucked him through it with firm, deep strokes that made Eggsy’s cock twitch and throb until there was a huge sticky mess between them. 

Even as he was coming apart, Eggsy urged Harry on, moaning Harry’s name and saying filthy things in the man’s ear like how he wanted Harry to come inside him, how he wanted Harry’s load, wanted to be soaking wet with it. Chasing after his own climax, Harry gave in, rhythm going ragged, fast and hard, skin slapping skin until he groaned low in his throat and tensed. Harry rasped out a filthy “fuck” and dug his toes into the mattress as he came. He ground into Eggsy, shooting jet after jet of his come until he emptied himself deep inside Eggsy’s body. Then Harry’s head thumped against Eggsy’s shoulder as he savored his heart-pounding orgasm, chest heaving and breath hot and heavy against Eggsy’s neck.

Jesus... Eggsy sagged onto the mattress with a happy sigh and ran a trembling hand along Harry’s damp back, enjoying the feel of the older man plastered on top of him. They were both panting, sucking air into their burning lungs. His mind and body felt light, floaty, like God had just granted him temporary absolution. Even his god damn fingertips tingled, everything buzzing in hazy contentment. Finally letting his eyes drift close, Eggsy basked in the aftermath for a little while, waiting for his heartbeat to settle.

Harry pressed his lips against Eggsy’s collarbone in slow and luxurious kisses, which earned him a tired but sated groan. When Harry sighed and pulled out, Eggsy opened his eyes and felt the pleasant lightness in his chest start to dissipate. Eggsy rolled out from under Harry and stretched out his limbs as he climbed out of bed. Christ, his body was already aching in the most wonderful way. Against the mess of pillows and rumpled sheets, Harry looked so bloody indulgent, like a cat that had gotten _all_ the cream in the world, that Eggsy would have leaned down to kiss that lazy smile if he wasn't feeling so damn wet and sticky. The rain forest shower beckoned and Eggsy left the bed to clean himself.

The water pounding down on him was like a heavenly massage, but Eggsy lingered in the shower more out of desperation than anything. His thoughts swirled in muddled confusion. He'd had really good sex before, amazing even, but Harry was something else. It was the taste of forbidden fruit, fulfilling and satisfying at the time, but Eggsy began to wonder if it was worth the price he was going to have to pay for it. This was supposed to help him get over his curiosity, but it had only made it worse. He wanted more. That's how he knew he had a problem and his heart sank. 

Was it love? Maybe infatuation? Eggsy enjoyed Harry’s company and he was attracted to Harry (all right, _very_ attracted to Harry, but who wasn’t?). But to say that he was in love with Harry would ruin everything. He’d never look at Harry the same way again and their friendship would collapse in on itself because Harry would try to distance himself if he ever found out. It would leave Eggsy vulnerable for his heart to be broken, to make a fool of himself. He’d seen what it did to his mum. To Roxy. 

He was rinsing soap from his hair and face when he felt Harry’s presence without even having to see him. Harry opened the glass door and joined him, a cool draft breaking into the steam that had collected during his shower. Despite the warm water pouring on them, he shivered when he felt Harry kiss the back of his neck. Large, calloused hands curved around his hips, thumbs tracing the defined lines there, before wrapping around his soft member and stroking slowly. He felt Harry’s hard cock against his backside when Harry pressed up against him. 

“Fucking hell, Haz,” Eggsy said and closed his eyes as he tipped his head back onto Harry’s shoulder with a sigh. Harry had a way of giving Eggsy a false sense of security, distracting him from thinking straight, like all was right in the world as long as Harry was by his side. It was probably why he always gravitated toward Harry all the time. He felt his cock quickly fill out in Harry’s hand, always wanting Harry nowadays. “Did you take Viagra or something before I dropped by?” Harry chuckled as he kissed the edge of Eggsy’s jaw, but didn’t dignify the question with a response. Instead, he nudged at Eggsy until Eggsy leaned forward and placed his hands against a glass wall. Eggsy hissed when he felt Harry’s thick cock slide in again. He was still slick from lube and come, allowing Harry to thrust in to the hilt in one smooth movement.

Harry fucked him hard and rough, just the way Eggsy liked it. Each thrust sent him forward onto his toes and he saw bursts of fireworks when he closed his eyes. Even though he teetered on the brink of soreness, he couldn't get enough. It was so mind-numbing good. Eggsy’s second orgasm ripped through him when Harry stroked his cock in time with each thrust. His loud cry echoed against the tiles and his legs threatened to give out from under him, saved only by the firm grip Harry had on his hip. 

By the time they finished showering and left the bathroom, Eggsy was feeling fucking good physically, but completely distraught mentally. Sex. It was only supposed to be sex. Hot, mind-blowing, toe-curling sex to quench his thirst, but emotionless sex all the same. It was a dangerous mistake to think it was anything else, but Eggsy was a bloody idiot. Sex was easy. He knew what to do and what to say in bed. Now, Eggsy was at a loss for words as he stood in the bedroom watching as Harry pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. What was there to say? “Thanks for the shag. I’ll see you tomorrow?” or maybe, “I think I love you. Can we do this for the rest of our lives?” 

“So, tomorrow morning,” Eggsy said after clearing his throat to break the silence. “What time is our flight again?” He thought about how they’d put their suits back on, plaster genial expressions on their faces, and talk like old friends again. Each time this happened, it became harder to pretend like it was nothing. 

From the bed, Harry watched as Eggsy knelt down to retrieve his discarded clothes. “1100.” There was another long pause as Eggsy searched for his cheap waiter’s tie. “Eggsy?” Harry said when strained silence lingered. “My offer still stands, you know.”

“What offer?” Eggsy asked absently as he grabbed a sock and looked for the matching pair.

“You should spend the night here.” 

Eggsy froze with his clothes bundled in his arms. It was probably a bad idea given Eggsy’s whiplashing emotional state. And yet, the invitation was hard to resist. Eggsy tried not to get ahead of himself. It wasn’t like Harry was asking him out on a date or anything. It was just one night of sleeping next to Harry and it was a hell of a lot better than lumpy bed in his own hotel room. There was enough space that they wouldn’t even have to touch. Eggsy stopped when he realized he was making excuses for a bad idea, one of many he'd had tonight. It was a terrible idea, but Eggsy was greedy. Leaving now would be like finishing a meal and forgetting the dessert. “Are you sure? I starfish,” Eggsy warned, trying to play it off. 

But Harry shrugged with one shoulder in a devil-may-care attitude. It wasn’t a big deal to him, just like everything else they’d done that night. “There’s enough space for the both of us, isn’t there?” It was big enough to fit several people, to be honest. “I can handle a starfish,” Harry added with an amused smile. “Besides, I’d hate for you to sue the agency for worker’s comp if you pull a back muscle from a bad mattress we provisioned for you.”

Harry, you smooth talking wanker. Eggsy let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. It came out shaky and insecure, scared out of his wits. Eggsy felt weak and embarrassed. He’d turned into one of those people he avoided, the type who got too attached and clingy, possessive and needy when he had no right to claim Harry as his. But, he'd just fucked Harry twice, so sleeping next to the man and possibly drooling on him was the least of his problems. Just this one night, he’d give into temptation and tomorrow would be a new day for Eggsy to regroup and learn from his mistakes. 

Even though the bed was enormous with plenty of space to stretch out, Eggsy joined Harry and scooted close until they were flush with each other. Harry’s body was firm and his skin was warm and soft against Eggsy’s side. Sometime in the middle of the night, it would probably be too warm between them, but right now, it was perfect. Eggsy wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist and started in surprise when he felt Harry’s calloused hand on his face, tipping it up. He blinked up at Harry as the man stared back at him with a concerned expression, his spy senses probably tingling and sensing something off in Eggsy’s demeanor.

“Eggsy, I-” Harry began, but Eggsy quickly shushed him by sealing their mouths together, soft and tender. Eggsy could always tell the moment Harry yielded to him, giving up any semblance of resistance. Harry was always so responsive to his kisses.

“S’allright,” Eggsy reassured, lips moving against Harry’s as he spoke. His teeth scraped slowly against Harry’s lower lip and he heard Harry suck in a hissing breath. He knew Harry was trying to draw the line before one of them got too invested. It was already too late for that, but Harry didn’t have to know. Harry’s hand splayed on the small of Eggsy’s back, holding him close until Eggsy pulled back and blinked slowly up at Harry. “G’night, Haz.” 

He rested a hand on Harry’s chest and felt the man’s heartbeat against his palm. It was steady and strong, reminding him that Harry was very much alive. Harry’s breathing eventually evened out and the hand against Eggsy’s back went slack. The wrinkles on Harry’s face seemed to fade as the man relaxed in his sleep. He was so devastatingly handsome that it made Eggsy’s heart clench when he glanced over, trying not to stare as Harry slept. Distracted as he was, Eggsy had expected to toss and turn all night, but as he focused on the sound of Harry’s breathing and the beat of his heart, he felt a hypnotic lull wash over him. He felt an odd sense of contentment like this was how they were meant to be in an alternate universe: Together, entwined in bed like lovers in a tryst. His breathing eventually slowed to match Harry’s and he closed his eyes as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this earlier but I haven't been feeling well this week :'( The last chapter is done. I need to edit it a bit in the next few days before posting. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Eggsy stirred when he heard a small electronic chirp.  After a few seconds, it sounded again, and his eyes snapped open when he felt movement beside him.  He quickly took in his surroundings and frowned in confusion at the unfamiliar room.  

“Yes?”  Not unfamiliar.  Harry’s hotel room.  Eggsy turned over to see Harry sitting on the edge of the bed, broad back facing him, as Harry answered the hail through his glasses.  “I see.  No, I haven’t.  Of course.  That's good.”  There was a short pause as Harry listened to the person at the other end of the line – most likely Merlin.  “Eggsy?  No, I haven’t seen him since he dropped off the phone last night.”  Well, that was awkward, but what else could Harry have said that wouldn’t make Merlin’s eyebrows shoot to the roof. Eggsy frowned and stared at a spot between Harry’s shoulder blades.  “Yes, I’ll let him know.”  They spoke for a few more minutes before Harry took his glasses off and sighed.   

When Harry finally turned around, he was unsurprised to see Eggsy awake and waiting patiently for an update.  “They scanned David’s phone,” Harry told him as a matter of fact as if they weren’t naked with the bed sheets pooled around their waists.  “It has everything. More than we could have hoped for.  We need to act fast before his crew realizes they’ve been outed.  Our team has already notified the US authorities, but I need to tie up loose ends here.”  Margravine. 

“I’ll help,” Eggsy offered, but Harry shook his head.   

“I’m afraid not.  Sunny’s been trying to get in touch with you all night.”  Shit, Eggsy had forgotten to take his equipment off silence mode after his mini hissy fit last night.  “Your target, Ethan, just took a flight to the Philippines and they need you to go after him.”  

Then, awkward silence hung in the air as they stared at each other for what felt like an eon.  Harry’s gaze was intense and troubled as he gauged the mood in the room, probably trying to figure out how to tell Eggsy to get the fuck out without making it awkward.  Something shuttered inside Eggsy, and the bed wasn’t so warm and cozy anymore.  Playtime was over.   

“We should get going,” Eggsy mumbled.  What had he been expecting?  For them to order room service and hand feed each other breakfast while they lounged in white, fluffy hotel robes?  For them linger in bed all day until they were spent and sated?  No, it was business as usual.   

“You can stay. You don’t have to get up now on my account,” Harry offered. Eggsy threw back the covers and tried not to cringe as he got out of bed.  Harry was letting him down easy, trying not to hurt his feelings because it wasn’t like he’d had a one night stand with a stranger. It was delicate with a friend, and there were repercussions if handled improperly. 

“No, you heard the man. I’ve got a perp to catch.  I gotta go back to my room and pack.”  _And maybe get a fucking hold of myself_.   

“Eggsy…” 

“Don’t let me get in your way,” Eggsy replied quickly as he gathered his rumpled clothes.  “I’ll see myself out before you even finish your shower.”  He gave Harry a quick look over his shoulder and forced himself to give the brightest smile he could muster. He’d be fine. _They’d_ be fine.

Harry hesitated, but whatever was on his mind wasn’t high priority enough for them to hash out because Harry eventually sighed and nodded in resignation. “I’ll see you back in London?”

“Yeah, of course,” Eggsy replied with a terse nod. He watched as Harry made his way to the bathroom.  The man was gloriously naked, enough to make Eggsy’s breath catch for a moment before he diverted his gaze. Eggsy waited until he heard the water run before taking a deep breath and rubbing his face with a hand.  Fuck.  What the fuck.   

As promised, he was out the door as soon as he was dressed. Away from Harry’s intoxicating scent and heated gaze, the cobwebs started to clear, giving Eggsy the opportunity to finally think properly. He was used to being the one holding people at arm’s length with a quick peck on the cheek and a simple “last night was fun.” That’s what it was usually for the both parties: Fun. No heartaches, no misunderstandings. This time around, something felt different. 

It shouldn’t have bothered him so damn much, but Eggsy felt his resolve start to crack, tiny hairline fractures that weren’t visible to the eye but there nonetheless. He had turned into that annoying git who had let things get too personal. Harry had always just been there, existing in Eggsy’s life as a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. Somehow, and he didn’t even know when, Harry had planted himself firmly in Eggsy’s life, digging deep and making a place for himself until they were too tangled to pull apart.

Eggsy had been an idiot to think he’d be all right after last night. That Harry would be like any of his other flings. Harry was anything but that. Eggsy’s body twinged as he left the hotel and caught a cab back to his own place. He should have reveled in it, luxuriating in the exquisite ache that could only come from amazing sex. Instead, he freaked the fuck out. 

Eggsy was falling for a man twice his age, older than his mother for fuck’s sake. His mum had always wanted him to find someone to settle down with, but Eggsy doubted she had someone like Harry in mind, especially considering how Harry had been involved in Lee Unwin’s death. Not only that, Harry probably only had a few golden years left. Eggsy’s heart clenched at the thought of Harry getting ready for a slow paced life when Eggsy’s own was just picking up speed. Soon, Harry wouldn’t be able to go in the field anymore. Wouldn’t be able to keep up with Eggsy anymore. If Harry was lucky, he’d die of old age, but even then, it would leave Eggsy with 30-some odd years alone, barely reaching middle age.

And then what? Then Eggsy would have to move on? But how would he even move on from someone like Harry? He might find another person, yeah, but never someone like Harry again. It wasn’t like Harry was perfect or anything. Sometimes Eggsy had to remind himself to take Harry off his imaginary pedestal. Harry had his own baggage to lug around if his penchant for picking fights was anything to go on. The man was hot-tempered, acerbic, and particular about the things he liked and didn’t like. Harry was set in his ways and wouldn’t be caught dead in a poppin’ club, bass thumping so loud it forced your heart to follow the beat. He wouldn’t go bar hopping and binge drink until they blacked out after a night full of embarrassing shenanigans. The man probably hadn’t even touched a video game since Pong came out.

Besides, what did Eggsy even have to offer that Harry couldn’t get from someone else? Someone more refined, more like Harry. There were so many problems up front that it was impossible to see the forest for the trees. God, what if people saw them together and thought Harry was his dad or thought Eggsy was some kind of sugar baby? They were so mismatched that Eggsy was beyond fucked if this went any further. Eggsy’s only option was the coward’s way out: Fake it ‘til you make it.

Whatever he was feeling for Harry would pass because it was illogical. He wasn’t prepared for anything serious, not with his job and fast paced lifestyle, and he didn’t even know what he wanted from Harry. So rather than ruining a friendship because of his indecisiveness, Eggsy needed to distance himself until he got his thoughts and feelings under control. He needed space to think, to reason with himself and talk himself out of this insanity because no good could ever come from falling in love, especially with Harry Hart, who was the least likely person to reciprocate Eggsy’s feelings. 

Eggsy needed to avoid Harry, or at least avoid being alone with the man, as much as possible and maybe everything would blow over. Maybe he’d realize it was just an infatuation. It had to be. When it shook out, maybe they could go back to being the best of friends. Maybe someday they’d even laugh about it like, ‘what the fuck was _that_ , right?”. 

~*~

Eggsy went to the Philippines and found Ethan in a loud, musty smelling club, smoking a pack of Marlboros and drinking cheap, light beer as he watched his goods parade on stage. A group of heavily made-up girls (too young to be of legal age in any country) walked up and down the stage, posing at each end like they were in a beauty pageant rather than an auction. It only took a day of stalking to find the base of Ethan’s sex trafficking ring, which led to a foot chase through the city when Ethan realized he’d been caught. 

They ran down crowded streets, past roads lined with food carts, disregarding oncoming traffic and artfully dodging cars as Ethan sought to make a getaway. Eggsy’s free running skills came in handy for these types of things, allowing him to rebound against the roofs of cars and leap over overturned carts in Ethan’s desperation to slow him down. They had a low-speed moped chase through the city until Eggsy finally managed to corner Ethan and took him down with surprising ease. Eggsy broke Ethan’s nose and dislocated the man’s right shoulder before the man finally gave in. Ethan sat on the curb, cradling his arm gingerly, nose dripping blood onto the pavement, while Kingsman notified local authorities to pick him up and lock him away. A part of Eggsy had been tempted to put a bullet in the man’s head. Men like him, who abused women and children without a shred of guilt, weren’t worth keeping alive, but Eggsy took the high road in the end.

His return to London was uneventful but thick with tension. Upon his arrival, Harry smiled at him and greeted him “good morning” as always. This time, Eggsy didn’t stop to chat. Instead, he gave a tight smile and a respectful nod before walking past Harry down the hallway. Eggsy kept Harry at arm’s length both mentally and physically. He threw himself into his work, raising his hand to volunteer for jobs back-to-back to keep himself distracted. The farther away he could get, the better.

Eggsy went to Cape Town, South Africa, ironically stopping the assassination of their corrupt leader. Despite the allegations of rape, breaches of the Constitution, and numerous corruption charges, the President was still a better option than the person the rebel group wanted to replace him with. Not only that, the country wasn’t in shape to survive a civil war. Not all Kingsman jobs were glorious and rewarding. Sometimes, they had to go with the lesser of two evils. 

Celebrating another success, he found himself in a club, music deafening, bass pumping so hard he could feel it in his bones. A pair of leggy, blond, suntanned friends kept him company. Ryan and Jamal would have been green with envy if they saw him then, sandwiched between two beautiful women who could have passed for models. He had his tongue down one of their throats in a filthy kiss. He could feel the hand of the other girl rubbing along his inner thigh, getting enticingly higher as one song blended into the next. 

Months ago, Eggsy would have reveled in this, counting his lucky stars and taking them both back to his hotel room after the club shut down in the wee hours of the night. Now, Eggsy was distracted. He had a hand in long sun-bleached hair, but he craved short brown locks peppered with a little gray. He wanted to feel soft curls through a tackiness of pomade, wanted to kiss a skilled mouth that could make him shiver with a simple flick of a tongue. The girls were gorgeous with legs that went on for miles and sun-kissed skin as soft as silk, but Eggsy’s fingers craved to run along the ridges of old scars littered on an expanse of pale and delicate skin. He wanted Harry so badly that the memory of Harry’s touch and taste turned him on more than the delectable ladies on either side of him. God fucking _damn_ it. 

When he woke up alone in his hotel room, the sun was already streaming through the curtains, lighting up his room in a golden glow. Eggsy groaned and hid his head under a pillow so the bright light wouldn’t exacerbate his headache. He was growing tired of the high-roller lifestyle, and his liver wasn’t going to make it past 35 at this rate. Being James Bond was overrated. Eggsy felt ragged on the inside and out and he’d only been an agent for a year. Maybe he needed to slow down. Randomly, Eggsy thought about a lazy afternoon at Harry’s house. Having a simple home cooked meal sounded heavenly right then. Maybe after lunch, they could relax on the sofa with a beer as they watched a drama or a game show on the telly. 

When he had a day or two off between his plethora of missions, Eggsy avoided the mansion as much as possible. He took his sister to the park and treated her to some ice cream. Eggsy went to watch a game of football and have a pint with his mates He spent more time with Roxy and made lame excuses when Harry to have dinner together. Even declining a cuppa with Harry had been painfully awkward. No more tea time; No more night caps. He couldn’t meet Harry’s gaze when they were in the same room. No, Eggsy kept his eyes firmly on the spot past Harry’s shoulder or ear whenever Harry spoke to him.

He felt like a tosser, treating Harry like shit when the man had done nothing wrong. Harry was probably perplexed and hurt, but he knew better than to push before Eggsy was ready. Like a wild animal, Eggsy had a tendency to lash out when he was cornered and he’d dig his claws into anyone who threatened him in the slightest. 

When Lancelot finally came back to the Round Table in a new charcoal suit, looking ready for business, it gave him a sprig of hope. If Roxy could recover, then so could he. Eventually. Maybe… Hopefully. 

Except that things didn’t get better. The feeling was stubborn and stayed wedged deep inside Eggsy’s chest so that it ached whenever he saw Harry or heard his name. Waking up every morning physically hurt. Every morning, Eggsy’s eyes fluttered open and he stared at the ceiling, trying to will the knots in his stomach to unravel, to breathe despite the tightness in his chest. He hadn’t been sleeping well the last few weeks and the circles under his eyes were getting darker. He needed to focus on himself. Stop wondering if Harry was okay and wondering what Harry was doing at night. Was he eating well and getting enough sleep? Did he miss Eggsy’s company as much as Eggsy missed his? 

Like Margravine, Eggsy had failed to take into account the fact that absence made the heart grow fonder. He was hurting after a few weeks of the cold shoulder treatment and he wasn’t even the one receiving it. He missed talking to Harry or texting the man random pictures and jokes. One time, he took a picture of JB sleeping hilariously with his tongue out and eyes half opened. Immediately, Eggsy thought to send the photo to Harry because Harry was actually fond of JB and liked so spoil and fatten the dog up with treats. Like, gourmet dog treats from a bakery for fuck’s sake. Eggsy’s thumb hovered over the “send” button and he froze he when realized what he’d been about to do. 

Shit.

Eggsy quickly closed the messaging app and put his phone away. He missed Harry. He was miserable without Harry and it was showing.

Eggsy was young. He should have been out having fun, especially now that he had a credit card to expense things like valets and bottle service, but he was so tired these days. Adrenaline could only last so long before it crashed. Sometimes, Eggsy wanted to crawl home and just close his eyes for a moment of peace and quiet. What he wouldn’t give to have Harry around again. Eggsy still had a lot of sexual fantasies about Harry, even fingered himself a few times while he jerked off to memories. 

But he also started daydreaming about odds things that he’d never wanted before. Like how nice it would be to come home and flop on the couch where Harry would be reading a book or a report for work. Eggsy imagined Harry running long fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp while he asked how Eggsy’s day had been just so Eggsy could vent and blow off steam. It was a dull and strange thing to daydream about, but Eggsy was so exhausted that something that mundane seemed like a blissful reprieve.

~*~

To his credit, Harry remained a consummate professional. It was Eggsy who was cracked and was doing a shit job of fixing all the broken pieces. Glued back together like a fucked up Humpty Dumpty. Luckily, Merlin was too busy to pay him any attention. The other agents were out of town except for Lancelot, so it was no surprise that Roxy picked up on the slight shift in the air when Harry passed them in the tailor shop and Eggsy looked away. The tension between Harry and him grew so thick it was a wonder that it took as long as it did for someone to finally confront Eggsy about it.

“All right.” Roxy barged into his small office without so much as a greeting. “What’s wrong with you?” She stood in front of his oak desk and crossed her arms impatiently.

“What?” Eggsy peered over his laptop.

“You might be able to fake it around everyone else, but you’ve been off for weeks,” Roxy clarified. “I’d like to think we’re close enough friends that I can tell the difference. You’ve been moping about like somebody died. Did something happen? Did JB pass?”

“No! JB’s fine.” Eggsy rubbed his face and sighed. “It’s nothing. I’m just in a funk.” Roxy frowned, delicate eyebrows pinched together as she worried over him. “I’ll be fine.”

She perched on the edge of his desk and tried a different approach since being blunt hadn’t worked. “Do you want to talk about it?” Roxy offered softer this time, but unrelenting like a hound on a scent. 

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Nothing to talk about, but there is _something_ , right?” God, she was persistent. 

“Jesus, Rox.” Eggsy was about to brush her off again, tell her he was too busy for this, too busy staring at an empty search bar for the last five minutes before Roxy had invited herself in. Damn it. Maybe he’d feel better if he finally unloaded his feelings somewhere instead of bottling it in. Roxy had gone through something similar and survived. Maybe she could help see him through it. “You wanna go for a walk?” He was starting to feel oppressed in the office anyway and hoped that the fresh air would clear his mind.

~*~

“You slept with Harry,” Roxy repeated, eyes wide in disbelief. Eggsy just nodded as they walked along one of many paths littered around the estate. “You’re in love with Harry,” was her next observation. 

Eggsy nearly tripped over his own feet. “I didn’t say that.” He had given her a brief summary of everything, but not once did he utter the word “love”. “Does it bother you?” Eggsy asked.

“What does?”

“Me and Harry. Him being Arthur and all.”

“You’re worrried it might impact our work? Arthur is professional enough to not let it impede his judgment. He may have slept with you, but he hasn’t shown any favoritism toward you.”

“’Cause you’re his favorite.” Eggsy and Harry may have spent a lot of time together, but Roxy was everyone’s favorite agent, even Merlin’s.

“Maybe,” Roxy replied modestly. “Besides, I don’t blame you for sleeping with him. Harry’s very attractive.” She paused when Eggsy frowned at her. “What? I’m not _blind_. The man ages like a fine wine. Plus, people do say older men are more experienced.”

“Rox!” 

She laughed at his appalled tone. “Can you imagine how good he must be in bed? Oh wait, you already know first hand.”

“You’re taking the fucking piss,” Eggsy accused with a dirty look and Roxy laughed again. “Yes, it was good…” He trailed off after that because she didn’t need to know the sordid details. It made him uncomfortable to share something so personal and intimate, something that should only stay between him and Harry for the rest of their lives. 

Roxy raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got it bad, Eggsy.”

“You’re not helping,” Eggsy groaned. “You’re supposed to be helping.”

“Sorry,” she said, not sounding apologetic at all. “I don’t understand what the problem is. If you guys have feelings for each other why are you so miserable?”

“We don’t have feelings for each other.”

“You clearly have something for him.”

“But he doesn’t have feelings for _me_.” 

There was a long pause. Gravel crunched under their feet as they walked. 

“He told you that?” Roxy eventually asked.

“No, but I can tell.”

“You mean, the two of you haven’t talked about this yet?”

“Because there’s nothing to talk about,” Eggsy said, growing weary when they seemed to be talking in circles.

“Eggsy,” Roxy said in a warning tone. She put her thumb and index finger together just close enough to show gap about an inch wide. “I’m this close to knocking some sense into you and I hate resorting to violence. You haven’t told him you have feelings for him?”

Eggsy shook his head stubbornly. “What’s the point. He doesn’t have feelings for me and it’d never work out.”

“You’re basing this on what?” She demanded.

“My gut feeling.” Roxy looked at him like he was a complete moron. “If he felt anything he would have said something by now.”

“Do you even realize how hypocritical you sound?” 

“Trust me. Neither of us are the type to be in long-term relationships. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and it’d never work out.” He held a hand up to stop his friend when it looked like she was about to interrupt. “I didn’t come out here to talk about my feelings. I wanted to ask you how to get over them.”

“What do you mean?”

“You told me you were in love with Jaime in Bolivia.” A shadow crossed her face when he mentioned her ex-lover’s name. “I want to know how you got over it ‘cause I’ve tried everything and I…”

“You just can’t,” Roxy finished for him. 

Eggsy nodded tersely. “Nothing works.” It hurt all the time and he just wanted it to go away. 

“It’s not some mind trick where you can just will yourself into forgetting about it,” she pointed out. “It takes time.” Ending their loop, they stopped by the stairs that led to the back entrance of the mansion. “Every day, you wake up and feel pain. But for every day that passes, the stinging fades a little at a time.” 

She looked down at her shoes and clasped her hands behind her back, trying to compose her thoughts in a way that would help explain the process of healing a broken heart. “One day, you wake up and realize that it doesn’t hurt so much anymore. That the memories are still there, but you almost feel numb to it. Day by day, you just think about it less.” She shrugged. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m completely over him. Some days, I wake up and think about him, but it doesn’t hurt. Not anymore.” Roxy looked up to meet his gaze. She wore an expression that was sympathetic, but firm. “Eggsy, you shouldn’t just try to ‘get over it’. You should talk to Harry. See if you can work things out.”

“It won’t.”

“You don’t know that. I know you’re scared or whatever, but let me tell you something I’ve learned in the past few months. I may have been naive and blind about Bolivia, but I wouldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t ever want to erase those memories because I’m stronger and wiser than I was before I went there. You’re too busy thinking about the reasons why it wouldn’t work out to focus on the many reasons why it might. The risk is worth it.”

Eggsy was taken aback. “You really think that? After everything you went through?”

“Absolutely,” Roxy answered without hesitation. “Even though it was short and a terrible decision, it was incredible while it lasted.” Eggsy was surprised to see her rebellious side finally show itself after all this time they’d known each other. Not only that, despite her tough-girl exterior, there were still some parts of her that were soft and vulnerable. She probably believed in things like love at first sight and true love despite having seen terrible things on the job. “I’m sure you’ve done things that you regret, but loved it when you were in the moment. I mean, you did sleep with Harry, after all.” Ouch. Rude. “Despite how much it hurts, I know I’ll fall in love a few more times in my lifetime and I’m okay with that. It’s human nature, Eggsy. We have basic needs and love is one of them. Have you ever heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?”

The title rang a bell. Eggsy recalled the talk Harry had given him almost a year ago when they were discussing Eggsy’s love life. Educating him about the difference between sex and intimacy. What the fuck. Did he miss that on the summer reading list during training or something? “I know what it is.”

“Then you’ll know it’s inevitable that you’ll crave it some day. Why not give it a go now?”

Eggsy contemplated Roxy’s words of wisdom. Worth the risk? Maybe. The idea of a stable and committed relationship was tempting. Months ago, Eggsy would have shied away from relationships like the plague, but now Eggsy didn’t know what he wanted. “I’ll think about it,” he replied noncommittally.

“Ugh!” Roxy shook her head, tight ponytail swishing back and forth, visibly annoyed by the nonsense she was hearing. “Honestly, sometimes I think I should just stick to women. You men can be so emotionally dense with your cro-magnon need to be macho and strong all the time. News flash, Eggsy. We live in the 21st century where it’s okay for men to talk about their feelings now.”

Eggsy bit his tongue from lashing out and commenting on how women had practically invented passive aggression. He wasn’t in the mood to spar with Roxy. “What are you implying?” He asked instead. 

“Just tell him for God’s sake. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Eggsy kicked a pebble by his foot. Well, it certainly couldn’t get any worse, could it? Glancing at on his watch, Eggsy excused himself. “I gotta run. I have a briefing with Arthur and Merlin in five. Thanks for the chat though.” She had certainly given him a lot to think about.

“Tell him,” Roxy urged again as she watched Eggsy rush up the stairs to his meeting.

He didn’t have time to give Roxy’s words much thought because Arthur and Merlin shipped him to Germany for a joint mission with the Berlin branch. He didn’t say anything when Merlin left the room and Harry pushed the mission dossier across his desk toward him. He didn’t say anything besides a nervous “thanks” when Harry wished him good luck and dismissed him. He certainly didn’t say anything to Harry before boarding his plane to Berlin where he’d be working for the next two weeks. 

After Germany was another string of jobs: Asset retrieval, data extractions, sniping jobs. Eggsy kept himself busy, but his mission success rate began to falter. His actions grew more reckless and less focused. 

“Galahad, get your bloody head in the game,” Merlin warned him through his glasses when Eggsy shook his head to get the stars out of his vision. He’d been sloppy and missed a punch thrown square at his jaw. Something like that should have been blocked or easily dodged. It wouldn’t have even been an issue in the first place if he’d made sure that the coast was clear before trying to break into the back of a nightclub to follow his leads. Eggsy’s timing had been shite and he hadn’t even noticed the loud footsteps approaching the room until the door knob turned and it was already too late. 

Eggsy knocked the club boss to the floor and kicked away the phone in the man’s hand before he could call for help. An amnesia dart quickly rendered the man down for the count and Eggsy had five minutes to grab his files and get the fuck out before the sedative wore out. 

Slamming open the emergency exit door, Eggsy raced down the stairway to make his escape, only to be stopped when he saw several bouncers running up the steps in pursuit of him. Shit! Eggsy swiveled and ran back up. Up and up several flights. He saw a door ahead and sighed in relief as he burst through it and found himself on the roof of the five-story building.

Eggsy cursed. “Merlin, I need eyes,” he spoke as he looked over the edge of the roof. 

“You have two options, unfortunately. Fight through it or make a jump.”

“No emergency helicopter to pick me up then?” Eggsy huffed, catching his breath from his dash up the stairs.

“Galahad,” Merlin warned, “you’re running out of time. I’ve got a cab a block away heading in your direction. You just have to make it to the cab.” Easier said than done.

The roof door banged opened once the bouncers caught up. Eggsy heard the sound of a gunshot before he felt the impact slam into his shoulder. He staggered back in surprise and felt the sting through the bulletproof suit, short, sharp bursts of pain. Eggsy pulled his pistol out from his back holster, took a careful shot… And missed his target by a mile. Fuck. Merlin was right. He wasn’t focused. 

Eggsy ducked behind a pile of rubbish to avoid a rain of bullets. When push came to shove, Eggsy could probably take them on. He’d dealt with a group far larger and more heavily armed, but was it worth the risk? Probably not. 

Taking a deep breath, Eggsy made a dash for it, trying to gain as much speed as he could as he ran toward the ledge. With enough momentum, he’d make an easy landing on the balcony of the adjacent building. He could do it. Eggsy had done these types of jumps for years. Bullets flew past him, some pelting him and causing him to stumble, but Eggsy persevered. He gasped sharply when he took a giant leap, launching himself forward. 

He flew for a second, but as soon as his feet had left the floor, he knew it hadn’t been enough. Fuck. Shit. Bugger. Damn. Eggsy stretched his arm out as far as he could to reach the balcony railing on the adjacent building. His fingers wrapped around the metal railing, but couldn’t get the grip he needed to hoist himself up. The cold metal slipped from his grasp and Eggsy flailed down five stories, feeling his stomach in his throat. The building walls rushed past him and he couldn’t hear anything but the blood roaring in his veins. Eggsy braced himself for impact but was stunned when he landed on a billowy canopy of a store front a mere 10 feet from the unforgiving pavement. The impact was hard enough that it had punched the air out of his lungs, but at least he had survived. Eggsy croaked and gasped for air as he slid down the canopy to the ground, but not before making a scene as he landed on a table, knocking dishes and silverware to the ground and surprising the diners in the outdoor seating area. Lovely.

People around him screamed. Eggsy stumbled to his feet in a daze amid fallen chairs and broken dishes. He had to keep moving, had to get out of there. He heard a loud honk and looked to his left. The cab! Eggsy swayed as he ran, nearly tripping over his own feet once or twice, as he made his way toward the waiting vehicle and heaved himself inside.

“Are you all right, sir?” Barrick, the driver, asked and glanced over his shoulder even as he slammed on the accelerator and made their getaway.

“Yeah, fine,” Eggsy groaned and rubbed his face, hands still trembling from the near death experience. “No life-threatening wounds as far as I can tell. Just get me back to the shop, will you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re distracted,” Merlin accused in his ear when the coast was clear. Jesus Christ, could he get a fucking break? Eggsy refrained from telling Merlin to fuck off and just pursed his lips, not bothering to dignify Merlin with a response. “Next time you drop your guard, you might not get so lucky. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you need to fix it, Eggsy.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Eggsy protested through gritted teeth. 

“I don’t like sloppy agents because sloppy agents get _killed_.”

“I’m fine!”

“Then fix it.” Then, there radio silence because Merlin always liked getting in the last word. Huffing, Eggsy yanked his glasses off and tossed them to the seat beside him. Eggsy thrummed his fingers along the armrest in the backseat and thought about Merlin’s words. Something about it resonated deeply. In the span of a few minutes, Eggsy had nearly died as nothing but a red splatter on the pavement. His body ached and his adrenaline hadn’t completely faded, but Eggsy was still alive. Any time he donned on his suit and went to work, his life was at risk. It was worth the risk, but when would his luck run out? He wondered if he’d even make it to 40 at this rate.

Time seemed to stand still and Eggsy saw the truth for what it was. All the puzzle pieces that he'd been struggling with finally slotted together. Eggsy drew in a sharp breath, feeling like he’d hit by a ton of bricks, slammed by the sudden epiphany. He stared at the line of shop fronts as Barrick drove them back to Savile Row. Stunned, his brain seemed to freeze up, trying to accept what an idiot he’d been.

He loved Harry.

Eggsy had been an idiot to pretend like it was anything else. He loved Harry so much that it hurt all the time, distracted him, and nearly got him killed. He thought about all those reasons why his feelings for Harry were wrong and realized Roxy had been right. He’d been focused on all the wrong things. 

Christ, who the fuck cared about their age difference? As an agent, any day could be his last. Tomorrow. A month from now. Five years. The mortality rate of an agent was much higher than someone in Arthur’s position. So maybe Harry wouldn’t slip into a pair of skinny jeans to go clubbing with Eggsy. But, in all honesty, Eggsy had enough of glitz and glam on the job and he just wanted to come home to something familiar and safe, like dinner with his family or a few pints with his friends. They had differences to iron out, but what relationships didn’t? Maybe it wouldn’t work out for the two of them, but at least he owed it to himself and to Harry to tell the truth because he might step out of the house one day and never come back, and the last memory Harry would have of him was Eggsy trying to distance himself for some unknown reason. Eggsy remembered how much it had hurt when Harry went to Kentucky and left things unresolved. He couldn’t do that again.

There was the possibility that Harry didn’t reciprocate his feelings. A very large possibility. Harry was 50 and still single for a reason. Maybe he’d push Eggsy away, but it couldn’t possibly be any worse than the way things were. 

“Actually,” Eggsy spoke to the driver, failing to hold back the tremor in his voice, “can you take me to Stanhope Mews?”

~*~

Eggsy sighed in relief when he saw the light on in Harry’s study room upstairs. It meant that Harry was home and Eggsy still had a chance to make things right.

He’d been so fucking stupid. Eggsy couldn’t believe he’d wasted all this time being such a bloody coward. He’d been so preoccupied with his own selfishness and instinct to protect himself, that he hadn’t appreciated the time he had spent with Harry, before, during, and after this whole mess. They could have even had more time together if Eggsy had just taken his head out of his arse. Eggsy wasn’t scared of getting hurt anymore. Maybe it was worth it like Roxy had claimed and getting closure was better than the purgatory he’d been living in.

Harry wore a soft grey jumper over a white button up and a pair of dark slacks when he answered the door. Years of being a spy had given Harry supreme control over his reaction, which made it impossible for Eggsy to tell if Harry was even remotely surprised to see Eggsy on his doorstep. Rather than greeting Eggsy, Harry pursed his mouth and stared at him.

“Hey,” Eggsy greeted and licked his dry lips nervously. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t know. I suppose it depends if you’re going to continue to give me the cold shoulder or not afterward.” 

Eggsy sucked in a breath like he'd been physically struck and his shoulders sagged in shame. “Okay, I deserved that. I've been a shite friend.”  He wouldn't blame Harry if he closed the door in Eggsy’s face and went to bed. Eggsy had been an awful friend and was undeserving of Harry’s forgiveness.

Even then, Harry sighed and reluctantly stepped aside to let Eggsy in before they made a scene on his doorstep where his neighbors could hear and see. When the door shut and the lock slid back in its place, Eggsy took a deep breath and faced Harry. They stared at each other for a quiet minute before Eggsy gave in. He took a step forward and placed a hand on Harry’s chest, crowding into Harry’s personal space. With just a little force, Eggsy pushed until Harry’s back hit the wall. His body moved on its own, craving Harry’s warmth and touch. After avoiding Harry for weeks on end, Eggsy was hit by just how much he had missed Harry’s presence in his life. It was like a wilting flower finally getting sunlight. An arid desert getting its first drops of rain in a year.

Harry’s mouth was firm against his, closed, taken by surprise. He felt Harry’s sharp inhale and reached up to grip the front of Harry’s jumper with both of his hands to keep them from trembling. He would understand if Harry pushed him away, upset by the cold shoulder treatment and annoyed by Eggsy’s wishy-washy behavior. But Harry’s shoulders slowly lost their tension and Eggsy felt Harry’s arms wrap around his waist. Eggsy sighed in relief and leaned into Harry, letting the man hold their weight against the wall. He licked over the seam of Harry’s mouth, coaxing until Harry obliged and allowed him entrance. Harry always gave in.

They kissed for a long time, breaking only for short gasps of air before Eggsy molded his mouth against Harry’s again, greedy and eager to make up for lost time. It was surprisingly sweet, warm, and so very tender despite the strain that had developed between them. Eggsy would have been fine doing this for the rest of the night, but questions niggled in his mind and he needed answers. Eggsy eventually ended the kiss, pulling away slowly and swallowing a groan when Harry sucked on his bottom lip, reluctant to let go. He gazed up at Harry with a mixture of hope and nerves. 

“Why do you kiss me?” Eggsy asked. 

Harry blinked down at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“When I kiss you, why do you always kiss me back? Why don't you ever push me away?” It was a question that had bothered Eggsy since Plymouth. He never understood Harry’s motivation and why the man was always a willing participant instead of doing the sane thing and pushing Eggsy away. Instead, Harry kissed him back every damn time and made Eggsy feel _things_ ; Things Eggsy had tried so hard to avoid and yet his feelings for Harry had crept up from behind and taken him down so hard he was completely disoriented. 

“Because I like to kiss you” was Harry’s simple reply.  

“That’s it?” Eggsy demanded. “You just like to kiss people?” His heart sank. Was that all? Just kissing and sex for the hell of it. No strings attached, exactly what Eggsy had wanted months ago, but, oh, how things had changed since then.

“I don’t understand where you’re going with this line of questioning,” Harry said, his voice growing more edgy and defensive. 

"I think I'm in love with you," Eggsy said. There. The dam had finally burst. 

The silence that ensued was deafening as Harry stared at him, eyes wider by a fraction and mouth slightly open in shock. It dragged on until Eggsy shifted uncomfortably, pulling out off Harry’s grip. He stood there awkwardly in the face of Harry’s rejection. His confession was a train wreck of a disaster. “Look, I know that this makes it awkward between us ‘cause you don’t feel the same way, but I wanted to tell you why I’ve been distancing myself ‘cause you deserve to know. I just-” Eggsy worried the inside of his cheek, trying to find the right words, “I need you to tell me where to draw the line ‘cause I can’t control myself around you. And if you keep letting me kiss you like this all the time, I’m gonna keep wanting more.”

The hardness in Harry’s eyes seemed to melt slowly back to the warm cognac brown that Eggsy was familiar with. “Whatever you want,” Harry finally responded, “is fine by me.”

“What?” Eggsy narrowed his eyes in confusion, “What do you mean ‘whatever’ I want?” Eggsy wanted a million things — things that would push the boundaries of their friendship.

“I’m not exactly innocent in this mess.” Harry reached over and cupped Eggsy’s face in a hand, peering down at Eggsy as though he were beholding the most precious thing in the world. “The truth is, Eggsy, I knew you were going to be special the moment you implied I had a silver spoon up my arse.” 

Harry was saying words, but it didn’t make sense in Eggsy’s mind. He might as well have been speaking in Arabic. “What?”

“I…” Harry hesitated and rested his free hand on the small of Eggsy’s back to pull him close again until they were almost flush. “I’ve had feelings for you ever since I woke up after Kentucky and saw you curled up in that uncomfortable leather chair beside my bed, waiting. So, when you presented me with the opportunity, I took it and I apologize for taking advantage of the situation.”

Although Eggsy was still reeling, he managed a weak smile in response to Harry’s own confession. “I made the first move on you. I was a willing participant.” Then, he laughed when realization dawned on him. “Fuck, have we been pussyfooting around each other all this time for nothing?” 

“Not for nothing,” Harry said. “I know what my feelings are. But you…” Harry had a point. Eggsy had sent all kinds of mixed messages these past few months. He had needed time to figure himself out. Everything he thought he wanted a year ago differed entirely from what he wanted now.

“I almost died tonight,” Eggsy said. That moment had defined everything for him, making him realize what his priorities should have been all along.

“Did you?” Harry’s voice was calm and steady, but his brow furrowed in the barest of tells.

“I’ve had so many close calls on this job. I’ve seen you almost die twice and I freak the fuck out every time,” Eggsy said and felt a lump forming in his throat. He powered through it anyway. “It made me realize that one of us might be gone one day and I’d wasted all my time being a bloody arsehole to you.” He buried his face into the crook of Harry’s neck and caught the spice of his aftershave and cologne, fresh and woodsy. “And I’m so sorry, Harry,” Eggsy murmured against warm skin. It didn’t feel like any amount of apologizing would make up for his shitty behavior. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head outta my arse. I’ve been a complete prat about this.”

Harry slid his hand up and down the length of Eggsy’s back, soothing and stroking, and Eggsy melted under his comforting touch. “It’s the destination that matters most. Not how you get there.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Eggsy promised. He had so much groveling to do. All this time, he’d been drawn to Harry, always seeking him out and finding excuses to talk to him. How had it taken Eggsy so long to realize what was right before his eyes all this time? In his heart, Eggsy had always loved Harry. He realized it now. There was no one else for him but Harry. 

“We have a lot of lost time to make up for, haven’t we?” Harry said with a smile that lit up his eyes. 

Eggsy tipped his head up for a kiss but frowned when Harry pulled back. 

“Wha-”

“Eggsy.” 

“Huh?”

The expression on Harry’s face could only be described as adorably befuddled as he ran his fingers down the front of Eggsy’s suit. “Is that- Do you have dried polenta on your suit?”

Eggsy blinked down at the yellow, grainy stain on his lapel. Then, he remembered the pair of diners he had belly flopped onto that evening during his escape from the club. Eggsy laughed as he recalled the look of surprise on their faces. Harry raised an eyebrow, still perplexed, but amused by Eggsy reaction nonetheless. “I guess I’ve gotta take it off then. Wanna help?”

Taking him by the hand, Harry led Eggsy upstairs, past the red office lined with newspaper covers, past the guest bedroom that Eggsy used on occasions, and into the master bedroom. They’d been in such a rush to tumble into bed that Harry barely had time to flick on the lights before Eggsy tore at his clothes and tugged him toward the large inviting King-sized bed. They fell into a pile of shams and pillows and Eggsy situated himself between Harry’s thighs, elbows resting on the bed on either side of Harry to keep from crushing the man under him. In between hot and heavy kisses, Harry pulled away suddenly and stared up at him with an expression of wonder.

“What?” Eggsy asked, voice throaty and low with arousal. His hard-on pressed against Harry’s thigh and he rocked his hips down for a little relief. 

“I was just thinking,” Harry said as he reached up to run his thumb across Eggsy’s pink mouth. His thumb pressed in and Eggsy teased it with the tip of his tongue. “That of all the things that have happened in my life, this may be the most reckless thing I’ve ever done.”

Eggsy bit at the thumb before letting go. “Are you having second thoughts?” 

Thankfully, Harry shook his head. “Absolutely not.” He leaned in and kissed Eggsy’s jawline, teasing and drawing sweet gasps from Eggsy’s mouth from the ticklish sensation.

People say sequels are never as good as the original, but Eggsy begged to differ because being with Harry the second time around was just as good, if not better. There was a certain freedom, a lack of restraint on both their parts. Eggsy was free to kiss Harry as many times as he wanted, to touch and grab Harry, and claim Harry as his. He traced the scars on Harry’s skin, making a note to ask about each and everyone one of them another time because they all had a story worth telling. Harry found all his ticklish spots and kissed them when Eggsy moaned and squirmed. They kissed until their mouths felt oversensitive and puffy and teased each other until Eggsy was so aroused that his stiff cock ached. They explored each other with their hands, fingers, and tongues like they had all the time in the world. Found ways to fit together, two halves of a whole. Eggsy learned new things about Harry too, like how he loved getting kissed along his neck and how he made the most incredible sounds when he had a cock in his arse.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Harry complained lightly when Eggsy teased him with deep and lazy thrusts. They’d been at it for what seemed like an hour already and Eggsy had gotten himself close to the brink of orgasm many times over, only to slow down when he got too close.

“Don’t be over dramatic,” Eggsy teased and kissed the end of Harry’s chin when the man tipped his head back and let his eyes fall shut with a frustrated groan. “How much longer do you think you can last like this?” It wasn’t that he liked torturing Harry, but Eggsy wanted to live in this moment forever.

“I can’t… It’s not good for my heart, you know.” 

Eggsy faltered to a stop and he stared down at Harry with worry. “Fuck- Shit. I didn’t realize-” The last thing he wanted to do was give Harry a heart attack in the middle of sex.

Harry took Eggsy by surprise when he flipped them over in a clever grappling move that would have impressed trainees on a sparring mat. Straddling Eggsy’s lap, Harry wore what looked like a victorious smirk.

“You fucker,” Eggsy accused as Harry reached down for Eggsy’s cock, gripping at the base to guide his length back inside. Eggsy hissed and dug his fingers into Harry’s hips as Harry slid down and took him in one smooth movement. He was buried in deep, to the balls, Harry’s ass coming to rest on his lap.

“I can’t believe you believed me. I’m not geriatric,” Harry growled back. He leaned over and bit at Eggsy’s lower lip none too gently. “Lucky for you I’ve had enough cock teasing for one night.” 

Then, Harry moved, riding him hard like he was going for the grand prize. With a hand near Eggsy’s shoulder for leverage, Harry’s head tipped forward and he stifled a moan when he got the angle just right, hard cock dribbling precome down the shaft as it bobbed with each of Harry’s movements. Eggsy had never seen anything more beautiful. Harry’s hair was a chaotic mess of curls from the number of times Eggsy had buried his fingers in the thick locks. Harry’s skin, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, flushed with a gorgeous pink. He was all lean muscle and soft skin outside and velvety hot and slick inside. 

“Fuck. Oh fuck, Harry,” Eggsy panted. His nails made red crescent marks Harry’s skin as Harry rose to take him again and again. “You feel so fucking good.”

“Likewise,” Harry slurred, his voice low, so drunk on pleasure. 

Eggsy’s head fell back, his breathing hard. He’d been close to coming for such a long time that he wasn’t going to last much longer. The bed springs squeaked on each of Harry’s downward movements and he began to drive himself up into Harry, lifting his hips up off the mattress to meet Harry thrust for thrust. The world blurred around Eggsy and all he could feel was Harry squeezing down on him. Harry was so tight, clamping down on Eggsy’s cock like a greedy fist. He powered into Harry, pushing desperately until his world splintered. Eggsy’s body bowed and then spasmed when he came, coating Harry’s walls with semen. He gave a hoarse shout and Harry ate it all up, leaning over to kiss Eggsy hard and claim all the sounds from Eggsy’s mouth as his.

Relief and satisfaction rushed through Eggsy’s veins when he finally slumped on the bed. Harry smiled down at him for a moment, watching Eggsy like he’d never seen anything more lovely and dear. Wrapping an arm around Harry’s torso, Eggsy flipped them over again and kissed Harry deeply, stroking his tongue inside to flick against Harry’s. Muffling his groan against Eggsy’s mouth, Harry stretched out onto his back and gripped Eggsy’s shoulder firmly. He gave an insistent push downward to give his neglected erection some attention. 

Eggsy eagerly slid down the length of Harry’s body and took Harry’s cock in his mouth. He was a little sluggish from his orgasm but not enough to be a selfish and inattentive lover. Three fingers deep in Harry’s arse, Eggsy bobbed his mouth over Harry’s hard length, sucking until Harry’s body went rigid and hot come coated his tongue. 

They eventually showered and Eggsy fell face first into the bed again with little more than an undignified “oomph”. He was amazed that his legs had managed to take him to the bathroom and back when they felt so wobbly under him. Eggsy felt Harry join him when the mattress dipped and he nearly purred when Harry kissed the small of his back, soft kisses up his spine until he reached the base of his neck and Eggsy’s body was covered in goosebumps.

“I love you,” Harry said in a hushed and reverent tone and kissed the back of his shoulder.

Eggsy quickly turned his head to face Harry, who blinked back at him innocently as though he had not just rocked the foundation of Eggsy’s existence. It was surreal. There was no way Harry loved him. It was too good to be true.

“Harry,” Eggsy wondered aloud, “why didn’t you ever say anything before?” If Harry had loved him all this time why had he kept quiet for so long? They could have spent all this time together, spoiling each other every morning and night with loving kisses and mind-blowing sex.

“Because I’m in a position of power,” Harry explained as he rolled onto his back and folded an arm under his head for a pillow, “and I’m much older than you. It would have been an abuse of my power to pursue you. You might have felt pressured to accept my affection and reciprocate.”

“You’d never pressure me into something like that.”

“Of course I wouldn’t, but it wouldn’t have looked mutual to anyone else. Maybe they thought you felt obligated to be kind to me and give into my requests. Maybe you felt pressured to please me without realizing I had manipulated you into something you didn’t want. Maybe I groomed you and played you for a fool because you’re too young and naive and you haven’t experienced enough to know better.”

“I’m twenty-fuckin’-seven.” Eggsy was indignant.

“And yet I heard that exact same excuse a few months ago when your mother was trying to get you to settle down into a relationship,” Harry pointed out. He had a fair point. It would have been foolish to confess his feelings when Eggsy had been going on and on about wanting to enjoy his bachelorhood and was only interested in having a little fun. Eggsy’s face colored, embarrassed by his past behavior and how it must have hurt Harry to sit there and listen to it all. 

“That’s different,” Eggsy defended himself, feeling like a bloody idiot. “I didn’t know what I wanted before.” It had taken him so long to realize the obvious. “But what if I never said anything?” Eggsy asked and frowned. “What if I never made a move on you? Would you have eventually said anything to me?”

“I could never make the first move,” Harry reiterated firmly. 

“You would have just stood there and watched me fall in love with someone else?”

“It had to be your decision. Your move.”

Eggsy couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been for Harry. He recalled all the times Harry had just smiled at him when Eggsy had talked about his dates and casual relationships. Talked about this person and that. It must have hurt to sit there while Eggsy’s eyes roamed, checking out other people. God, he might as well have shived Harry in the chest. And even if Harry had confessed his feelings months ago, Eggsy wouldn't have known what to do with it. Harry had always been off limits. It didn’t register in his brain for the longest time that Harry might be the one. Eggsy’s chest hurt, throbbing dully like his rib cage had shrunk two sizes too small. “What if I married someone else? You’d never say anything?”

There was a long pause as Harry contemplated the question, brow furrowing as he thought about the possibility. “To be quite honest, I expected that to be the case and had resigned myself to accept it already.” While Harry was a pro at maintaining a detached facade, he did have the kind of eyes that could convey a wide range of emotions when he didn’t bother to mask it. Anger, disappointment, annoyance, bemusement, adoration, and now, pain and heartache. Harry had soft brown eyes and expressive eyebrows that made him look like a sad shivering puppy that Eggsy just wanted to tuck into his hoodie and coddle for the rest of the day. “I would have supported whatever made you happy,” Harry responded even though he looked pained by the thought of it. 

“You make me happy,” Eggsy said, determined to never put that look on Harry’s face again.

“Well, I firmly support that too,” Harry said. He leaned over to kiss Eggsy’s forehead affectionately and Eggsy tilted his head up so he could get a proper good night kiss. It was wistful and sweet, practically the definition of a true love’s kiss. Maybe Roxy wasn’t naive to believe in such things after all. Eggsy blinked slowly and sighed when Harry pulled away, already longing for the next time they’d kiss again. They’d talk more later to iron out the wrinkles and delve deeper into their thoughts and feelings, but tonight, Eggsy just wanted to revel in his newfound happiness and enjoy the honeymoon period no matter how long or short it might be. Tonight, he didn’t have to hesitate when they buried themselves under the covers. He belonged here now. Eggsy snuggled up against Harry’s side familiarly as though they’d done it a hundred of times before. 

~*~

In the morning, Eggsy woke up with a slow flutter of his lashes and was immediately confused when he saw the vacant spot beside him. It was a sight that was all too familiar and it made his heart sink a little. He sat up in a daze to see the sun shining brightly into the bedroom, but Harry was nowhere to be seen. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Eggsy heard noises downstairs, the soft sizzle of butter on a hot pan, a wood utensil clanging lightly against metal, which meant Harry hadn’t fled far.

He found Harry puttering around in the kitchen wearing an apron over his pyjamas, a soft grey tee to match his flannel bottoms and Kingsman slippers. Eggsy stared dumbly as Harry flipped some toast in a pan. 

“You’re up earlier than I expected,” Harry commented mildly, sparing him a glance. 

“I thought you’d woken up and ran away when you realized what you’d gotten yourself into,” Eggsy explained teasingly, but there was also a touch of honesty to his joke. For a brief moment, he had worried that Harry had finally gotten some sense and retreated before things went further downhill.

“Where would I flee to? This is my home.” Harry raised an eyebrow as he plated fried toast onto two plates. “And what exactly have I gotten myself into? A relationship with someone who has very adorable bed head in the morning?”

Eggsy’s hand shot up self-consciously to feel the cowlicks in his hair. “You’re one to talk.” Harry’s bed head was ridiculously cute, curls going every which way despite Harry’s obvious attempt to smooth it down with his fingers. “Relationship, huh?” He picked up on Harry’s choice of words and his smile felt a mile wide. “Does that mean you’re my boyfriend or something?”

“You know my track record.” Harry looked down contemplatively at his plated food. “I’m not the best at relationships, but sometimes I wonder if they never worked out because I was waiting for someone like you to come into my life and turn it upside down.” He raised his eyes to meet Eggsy’s and smiled softly. Eggsy had never seen such a warm and open expression on Harry’s face before and it made him melt inside, gooey, warm, and tooth-achingly sweet. 

“Yeah?” Eggsy said with a smile. He took a few steps toward Harry, crowding the man against the kitchen counter top. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of Harry. “You were waiting for a mouthy chav who doesn’t take shit from no one and isn’t afraid to tell you to go fuck yourself?”

“Yes,” Harry said with a little twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “A mouthy chav who makes me smile at the outrageous things he says and always manages to surprise me with his instincts and intellect. A person who is kind, caring, and noble. Someone who is unselfish and patient with me even when I was at my worst.” 

“I ain’t like you, Harry,” Eggsy warned. He let his insecurities get the better of him. “We’re worlds apart.”

“We’re not opposite ends of the spectrum, Eggsy. Just different shades of the same color,” Harry reassured. “I’m not looking for a mini-me. More of the same can be boring and I’ve never wanted that.”

“So you’re really serious about it then?” It was hard for Eggsy to believe. He must have been asleep upstairs still and dreaming all this. “You wanna give this a go?” 

“I don’t want to presume, but I’d like to give it a try. A relationship with you,” Harry said, sounding almost shy. “I thought I’d get a head start by bringing you breakfast in bed. I hope you like egg in a basket and a little tea because that’s all I have in my cupboards at the moment.” 

Eggsy glanced down at the crispy slices of buttery toast with perfectly soft yolks in the middle. “Harry…” He was at a loss for words. No one had ever said anything so heartfelt to him and no one besides his mum had ever bothered to make him breakfast before, much less breakfast in bed. It was terribly romantic. Bubbling with giddiness, Eggsy got on his tippy toes to plant a kiss on Harry’s lips and Harry kissed back sweetly despite Eggsy’s sour morning breath and all. That’s how Eggsy knew Harry truly cared for him.

“Well, are you going to get back into bed so I can serve you properly?” Harry asked, before giving him another peck.

Eggsy beamed up at him. “ _Yes_ , Harry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Thank you for reading and sticking with me. Hopefully the ending was satisfying for you. Kudos and comments are always appreciated and you can hit me up on [Tumblr](https://spockri.tumblr.com/) too :)

**Author's Note:**

> Major thanks to [czarinakitty](https://czarinakitty.tumblr.com/) and [officialdeadgoldfish](http://officialdeadgoldfish.tumblr.com/) for giving me a sanity check.


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